Papua New Guinea and Indonesia finalise defence deal

PORT MORESBY, Feb 29: Papua New Guinea has finally ratified a defence pact with Indonesia, nearly 14 years after the prickly neighbours first signed it, the government said in a statement.
The two countries first inked the defence cooperation deal in 2010, agreeing to share military intelligence, give logistical support and coordinate security operations. But while Indonesia ratified the document years ago, Papua New Guineas parliament only did so on February 14, with the government formally bringing it into force a week later.
Papua New Guinea has had difficult relations with Indonesia since Jakarta annexed West Papua following a contested vote of tribal representatives in 1969.
The pro-independence Free Papua Movement has waged a low-level insurgency with Indonesian military for decades, leading to refugees, Indonesian forces and rebels crossing West Papuas long border with Papua New Guinea.     —AFP