Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape on a range of issues and discussed ways to further augment cooperation in areas like commerce, technology, healthcare and climate change.
The first Indian prime minister to visit the country, he made his way to Papua New Guinea for the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), a grouping of India and 14 Pacific Island countries.
The discussion focused on strengthening partnerships in multiple sectors, climate action as well as promoting people-to-people ties.
The FIPIC comes at a crucial time. As former navy chief Arun Prakash told VOA, “These places are very strategic if you want to make a naval base or a friendly port or friendly airstrip and they also have vast ocean resources. The main worry for Western countries and India is that several of these countries are a void and China tends to walk into voids and fill them up.”
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a tweet, said, “PM Narendra Modi arrives at the iconic APEC House located on the shores of Ela Beach in Port Moresby. Warmly welcomed by PM James Marape.”
During his talks with Marape, Modi thanked his counterpart for the warm welcome and for co-hosting the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
Strategic significance
Pacific Island nations include Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
India is building development partnerships with PNG on critical issues including climate resilience, digital health, renewable energy, and disaster risk reduction. India also sowed its willingness to increase its Grants-in-aid to US$200,000 annually.
In terms of geopolitics, the FIPIC is crucial—India’s engagement with the Pacific nations is seen to counterbalance Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.
China has been pushing its political and economic agenda in the region through its Belt and Road initiative. In fact, in 2022, China inked a security deal with the Solomon Islands and it won a contract to redevelop the port in its capital city, Honiara.
