Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, has promised to hold a meeting of his National Executive Council on the mainland of Bougainville, next month.
It will be the first time since since the secessionist war in the late 1980's and 1990's that PNG's cabinet will have met on the island.
Despite an earlier cancellation, expectations are high.
Presenter: Jemima Garrett Speaker: President John Momis of Bougainville
Listen: Windows Media
GARRETT: It is ten years since the PNG government signed the Bougainville Peace Agreement - that agreement brought an end a bloody secessionist war that had been sparked by landowner ill-feeling about the giant Rio-Tinto-owned Panguna copper mine.
The Peace Agreement the led to the formation of the Bougainville government and included financial guarantees from Port Moresby in the lead-up to a referendum on independence sometime between 2015 and 2020.
John Momis, President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, says the visit of the National Executive Council to Bougainville's burnt-out mainland capital, Arawa is very significant.
MOMIS: The whole ABG leadership and the people will be welcoming them with open arms, especially a visit to Arawa and mine because we have totally inadequate funding to deal with huge huge, huge responsibilities of rebuilding Arawa. And it would be good for the government to experience for themselves the sorts of difficulties that the ABG has been subjected to by the people.
GARRETT: Will Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, or any of his Executive Council be visiting the Panguna mine site?
MOMIS: I think so - it would be very good for them to see.
GARRETT: And you are not expecting any trouble with them getting access to the mine site?
MOMIS: No, absolutely not! No! No problem!
GARRETT: So is that a sign of just how far the peace process has now gone?
MOMIS: Yes, definitely. The Peace Process has gone a long way but to make it stick we have to start spending some money where it matters. And that is empowering people at the grassroots, finding employment or finding social or economic activities that people can be involved in. Bougainvilleans in general, are very hard working people to give you an idea of how they are not lazy, before the crisis Bougainville was the biggest producer of cocoa and we are still the biggest producer of cocoa, with all the expatriate plantations closed down.
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