Australia and Papua New Guinea are set to sign a document to progress a defence treaty on the first day of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s trip to the region.

Papua New Guinea’s minister for foreign affairs Justin Tkatchenko confirmed the two countries would sign off on a key document that would take the sought-after deal to the next level on Thursday.

“We are very close and today will be a historical day between Papua New Guinea and Australia, where we will actually sign off and agree to the Security Treaty after many years, and it will be the pinnacle of the visit for the next two days of the Australian prime minister, it’ll be signed today,” Mr Tkatchenko told ABC Radio National.

He said the deal would enhance the capabilities of the PNG defence force.

“It’s all about enhancing PNGs capabilities and making sure that our defence force and its infrastructure and its capabilities are able to meet modern-day standards and the situations that we face now in the region.”

Anthony Albanese will become the first foreign leader to speak at the PNG parliament on Thursday.

The wide-ranging speech will touch on climate change, education, health, biosecurity and infrastructure, but it’s Mr Albanese’s defence comments that will stand out, with fears of China’s growing influence in the region.

“Australia and Papua New Guinea have a chance to … deepen our defence ties (by) enhancing our national security co-operation and achieving a swift conclusion to negotiations on a bilateral security treaty,” he will say in his speech on Thursday.

“A treaty that will underpin our work together to address PNG’s priority needs including law and order challenges, strengthening the justice system and rule of law … and a treaty that builds on the family-first approach to regional security.”

Australia, the United States and other allies have been seeking a deal after China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year.

“This can be a decisive decade for peace, prosperity, unity and security in the Indo-Pacific,” Mr Albanese will say.

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, said the details of the treaty would ultimately set up the legal framework for greater security cooperation.

“That could include, hypothetically, allowing more visits by Australian naval vessels or Papua New Guinea naval vessels to Australia, it could include greater military cooperation in training,” he told ABC radio.

Mr Conroy, who will travel with the prime minister to PNG, said the visit would strengthen ties between the two nations in areas other than defence.

“It’s about making it easier for Australia to support the security aspirations of Papua New Guinea and vice versa, noting that PNG soldiers supported us during the bushfire crisis of a few years ago,” he told ABC radio.

Climate change will also feature prominently, with the prime minister calling for the two nations to “show leadership and take action” in the Pacific.

“There is not a moment to waste. It is up to our generation to protect the precious and unique natural environment of our rainforests, reefs and coasts,” he will say.

“To build – and plan – our infrastructure so our communities are more resilient and better prepared for natural disasters.”

He will also urge the region to continue pushing into clean energy technology and “grasp the transformative economic benefits”.

– AAP

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