[citation needed] In 1980, the new state of Vanuatu, formerly the New Hebrides, which had just that year declared independence from France, quelled an uprising with the help of forces from Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea co-sponsored with Australia and New Zealand a scientific study of the Moruroa atoll in 1983, but distanced itself from the report when the results concluded that health and environmental risks from nuclear testing were negligible.

[5] In November 2007, Papua New Guinea's Oro Province was struck by cyclone Guba, and France provided humanitarian aid in the form of medicine, water purification products, food and clothing for victims with the assistance of the Armed Forces of New Caledonia (FANC) and in the context of the FRANZ agreement.

The French government has noted what it calls Port Moresby's "moderate" attitude on the issue of the decolonisation of New Caledonia - which, like Papua New Guinea, is located in Melanesia.

[9] A plan for bilateral cooperation between the FANC and PNG's defense forces was approved in November 2004, centered around training for peacekeeping operations.