Justin Tkatchenko
Justin Tkatchenko CBE, BEM | |
---|---|
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office 23 June 2022 – 12 May 2023 | |
Prime Minister | James Marape |
Preceded by | Soroi Eoe |
Succeeded by | James Marape |
Minister of Housing and Urban Development | |
In office 7 June 2019 – 11 June 2022 | |
Succeeded by | Kobby Bomareo |
Member for Port Moresby South | |
Assumed office 2012 | |
Preceded by | Dame Carol Kidu |
Personal details | |
Born | Justin Wayne Tkatchenko dual citizenship |
Political party | Pangu Pati |
Spouse | Catherine Jane |
Justin Wayne Tkatchenko,
Biography
Tkatchenko was born in Australia to Ukrainian immigrants. Tkatchenko was originally from Melbourne, Australia, and followed a brief vocational training in Horticulture after his secondary education. He was then employed as curator of the Botanical Gardens of the National Capital District of Papua New Guinea. In 1997, he was appointed high official in the administration of the District. In 1999, he bought a small gardening business, which he grew over the following years. He also became famous as the presenter of a television gardening show, The Happy Gardiner.[4][5][6]
In 1997, he was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to “the orchid industry and tropical gardening”.[1]
He was naturalised as a Papua New Guinean citizen in 2006 and ran unsuccessfully as a candidate in the Papua New Guinean legislative elections of 2007. He was defeated by outgoing MP Dame Carol Kidu in the constituency of Port Moresby-South.
After Dame Carol's retirement from politics, Tkatchenko won the constituency in the 2012 elections and entered the national parliament as a member of the Social Democratic Party of Powes Parkop. He then became the Minister of Sports in Peter O'Neill's cabinet, and became a member of the latter's People's National Congress party. In April 2016, he also had ministerial responsibility for hosting the 2018 APEC summit in Papua New Guinea. Re-elected MP in the 2017 elections, he retained responsibility for the APEC summit, and he was shifted in cabinet to become Minister of Lands and Territorial Planning.[4]
In the
The O'Neill government lost the confidence of Parliament in May 2019. Tkatchenko left the National People's Congress to become a member of the Social Democratic Party again, and provided support to the new Prime Minister James Marape, who appointed him Minister of Housing and Urban Development.[4]
Following the 2022 legislative elections, he was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.[3] A few days later, he publicly mentioned Papua New Guinea's desire to sign a military and security cooperation treaty with Australia, allegedly in response to the similar treaty signed by the Solomon Islands and China in March.[8]
In December 2022, he reiterated Papua New Guinea's recognition of Indonesian sovereignty over western New Guinea, which is disputed by some indigenous Papuans from that region. He requested that Papuans from Indonesia who have taken refuge in Papua New Guinea not proclaim the independence of the unrecognized Republic of West Papua, so as not to disturb the good relations between Port Moresby and Jakarta.[9]
In May 2023, he was part of the Papua New Guinean delegation to the
Tkatchenko was reappointed foreign minister on 18 January 2024 during a cabinet reshuffle to replace Prime Minister James Marape, who had been his own foreign minister.
References
- ^ a b https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/54800/supplement/44/data.pdf
- ^ https://rulers.org/indext2.html
- ^ a b "PNG Government Cabinet announced". Papua New Guinea Today (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ a b c "Hon. Lohia Boe Samuel - Tenth Parliament of Papua New Guinea". www.parliament.gov.pg. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ Gware, Carmella (2021-03-31). "Everyday People PNG : Glen Armstrong". Loop PNG. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ "Air Niugini wants more Fijians to see more of Papua New Guinea". fijisun.com.fj. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ "2018 Queen's Birthday Honours List – Papua New Guinea – EMTV Online". Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ "Papua New Guinea reveals it wants to negotiate a new security treaty with Australia". ABC News. 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ Iru, Jasmine (2022-12-09). "Tkatchenko: PNG respects Indonesia's Sovereignty". Loop PNG. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ Ukuma, Pau (2023-04-29). "MINISTER TKATCHENKO TO REPRESENT PRIME MINISTER MARAPE AT CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III". The PNG Bulletin. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ "Sir Bob delegation to witness coronation". postcourier.com.pg. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ "Govt House clarifies coronation invitations". The National. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ Faa, Marian; Kora, Belinda (11 May 2023). "Opposition demands PNG foreign minister be sacked over 'primitive animals' comments while defending daughter". ABC News. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ "PNG Prime Minister James Marape calls for nation to 'forgive' Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko over 'primitive animals' comments". ABC News. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ Faa, Marian; Srinivasan, Prianka; Kora, Belinda (12 May 2023). "Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko steps aside". ABC News. Retrieved 12 May 2023.