PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko also told ABC TV he had discussed a security treaty with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong during his visit to Port Moresby on Tuesday, while Ms Wong said ABC that the discussions were at a “very early stage”.
The Solomons have had strained relations with the United States and its Pacific allies since signing a security pact with China in April. Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific island countries have said security needs must be met within the region.
“It’s an idea that was put forward by PNG,” Marles told ABC radio on Wednesday.
“We have been very clear that we want to be as close to PNG as possible. We want to build on the already close military relationship we have with Papua New Guinea, which we see as one the most important military military relationship we have,” he added.
Papua New Guinea is Australia’s closest northern neighbour, only a few miles apart, and a former colony, but it has growing trade and investment links with China.
In June, China failed to strike a comprehensive trade and security pact with 10 Pacific nations, including PNG.
Australia and the United States are financing the modernization of a naval base on Manus Island in PNG, after the failure of the Chinese proposal to redevelop a naval base in 2018.
Chinese navy ships transit the Torres Strait that separates Australia and PNG, an activity that became a sticking point in February when a Chinese ship aimed a laser at an Australian military surveillance plane in flight over the northern approaches to Australia.
The Solomons, which have maritime borders with PNG and Australia, said on Tuesday they were suspending port visits by foreign navies until they put in place a new approval process.
Mr Marles declined to comment directly on whether Australia had been made aware of the moratorium on port visits, after the US government received notice a week after a US Coast Guard vessel failed to could make a stopover in Honiara.
“We want Australia to be the natural partner of choice for Pacific nations, it’s not something we take for granted,” he said.