Indonesia promises Papua New Guinea 'compromise and collaboration': Video
Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto promised "compromise and collaboration" while visiting Papua New Guinea on Wednesday, August 21.
This is the latest sign of warming ties between the sometimes prickly neighbours.
"We are joined together and we should be like real brothers." Prabowo, who gushed over his "beautiful" welcoming ceremony, said. "The Indonesian tradition is we like to solve all problems with compromise and collaboration," added Prabowo, who is due to be inaugurated in October.
Indonesia and Papua New Guinea share an 800-kilometre (500-mile) land border that has historically been a source of numerous disputes. However, in recent months, the two countries have successfully implemented a border security agreement that was once considered nearly impossible.
Earlier this year, Papua New Guinea endorsed a long-overdue defence cooperation agreement with Indonesia, nearly 14 years after it was first proposed.
The western half of the island, or the region called Papua, has been under Indonesian control since the early 1960s. The pro-independence Free Papua Movement has waged a low-level insurgency with the Indonesian military for decades.
