World

PNG's PM Marape tests positive for COVID

By AAP Newswire

Feb 6, 2022

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape — Prime Minister James Marape was due to return to PNG on Sunday. -AAP Image

Papua New Guinea's prime minister, James Marape, tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Beijing on Thursday for the opening of the Winter Games and will not travelling to France for an Indo-Pacific summit, his office says.

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"Prime Minister Marape will now abort the French leg of this trip due to COVID-19 restrictions, having returned a positive test result upon arrival in Beijing last Thursday evening," the prime minister's office said in statement on its Facebook page.

The office said Marape was due to return to PNG on Sunday but would not disclose any further details about his condition.

According to a statement on the website of the PNG's National Control Centre for COVID-19, Marape received his booster vaccination against the coronavirus on January 24th.

On Saturday, while in Beijing Marape held a virtual meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to discuss strengthening economic co-operation, Marape's office said.

A joint statement published on China's embassy in the United States after the meeting stated that the two sides agreed to strengthen co-operation in trade, investment, energy, resources and infrastructure, among others.

Marape was to travel from Beijing to the February 9-11 One Ocean Summit in northwest France, held in the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the support of the United Nations.

Marape was also scheduled to meet France's President Emmanuel Macron, Marape's office said earlier in the week.