Australia and Papua New Guinea have agreed to develop a timetable to close immigration detention facilities on Manus housing about 350 refugees and asylum seekers.
PNG Prime Minister James Marape used his visit to Australia to demand his Australian counterpart commit to a closure date, following a meeting with his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison on Monday.
At a joint press conference in Canberra, Mr Marape indicated some progress had already been made.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP
“It’s a work in progress but both governments have agreed to establish a schedule going forward and for us to find some closure on the Manus asylum seekers,” Mr Marape told reporters.
While the Australian government has ruled out taking up an offer from New Zealand to resettle up to 150 refugees from Manus or Nauru, PNG is not ruling out striking a deal directly with NZ PM Jacinda Ardern.
Mr Morrison said 260 people have already been transferred to the United States and he encouraged those that have had their asylum applications rejected to return to their home country.
"We're just going to continue to work through the issue pragmatically as we have. I think we've made extraordinary progress."
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape and his wife Rachel arrive in Australia. (AAP) Source: AAP
The red carpet was rolled out for Mr Marape, who is the first leader to visit Australia since the re-election of the Morrison government in May.
The two leaders have also agreed to hold official talks annually in a sign of the importance of the relationship.
Mr Morrison invited Mr Marape as part of his "Pacific step-up" strategy, aimed at increasing Australia's economic and security engagement with its neighbours.
Australia already gives developing PNG more than half a billion dollars in aid each year.
Mr Marape will also meet with Labor leader Anthony Albanese, visit the war memorial and see Governor-General David Hurley.
Mr Marape signs the visitors book at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP
His visit comes just days after Greens Senator Nick McKim was kicked off Manus Island after trying to visit an asylum seeker facility.
Senator McKim denies he had done anything wrong and had followed procedures he had undertaken on past visits.
Friday marked six years since the Rudd Labor government reintroduced offshore detention for asylum seekers who arrived by boat.
Thousands of people also attended rallies in Australia's major cities on Saturday calling for an end to offshore detention.
