NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held meetings with his counterparts from Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand on the margins of a regional summit at Port Moresby on Monday to discuss ways to deepen cooperation and to take stock of regional issues.
Modi was the first Indian premier to travel to Papua New Guinea, where he co-chaired the summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation that was attended by leaders of 14 small island nations on Monday. In a special gesture, Modi was received by his Papua New Guinea counterpart, James Marape, on his arrival on Sunday evening and accorded a 19-gun salute and a guard of honour.
At their bilateral meeting on Monday, Modi and Marape took stock of bilateral ties and discussed ways to strengthen their partnership in different sectors, including trade, investment, health, capacity building, skill development and information technology.
They discussed issues related to climate action and people-to-people ties, and Modi reiterated India’s support for the priorities of the Pacific Island states. The two leaders launched a translation of the Tamil classic Thirukkural to the Tok Pisin language that was co-authored by Subha Sasindran Sasindran Muthuvel, governor of West New Britain province of Papua New Guinea.
During a special ceremony at Government House, Papua New Guinea Governor-General Bob Dadae conferred the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu on Modi. This is the country’s highest civilian award and recipients are titled “chief”.
Modi also held his first bilateral meeting with Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in Port Moresby and reviewed the development partnership between the two countries. They expressed satisfaction with progress in key sectors such as healthcare, climate action, renewable energy, agriculture, education and capacity building. They also exchanged views on regional developments and agreed to deepen cooperation at multilateral forums.
The meeting assumed significance as Rabuka on May 14 offered a public apology to Indo-Fijians and other people affected by a coup he led in 1987. Rabuka, then a lieutenant colonel in the armed forces, had overthrown the elected government as it was dominated by Indo-Fijians.
“We confess our wrongdoings, and we confess that we have hurt so many of our people in Fiji, particularly those of the Indo-Fijian community,” Rabuka said at a public ceremony. “I stand here to confess and to ask for your forgiveness.”
On behalf of the Fijian president, Rabuka conferred the country’s highest honour – the Companion of the Order of Fiji – on Modi, who dedicated it to the people of India and the generations of Indo-Fijians who played a key role in the special bond between the two sides.
Modi also held a meeting with his New Zealand counterpart, Chris Hipkins, in Port Moresby and discussed bilateral cooperation initiatives. This was the first meeting between the two leaders and they agreed to expand cooperation in trade, education, IT, tourism, culture and sports.
During an interaction with alumni of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) courses from Pacific Island states, Modi highlighted the important role played by India’s capacity-building initiative in helping countries meet their developmental goals, especially in good governance, climate change, digital public goods and sustainable development.
The alumni included senior government officials, professionals and community leaders who were trained in India. Since the last summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation in 2015, India has trained nearly 1,000 officials from countries in this region. India has also sent experts on long-term deputations to these countries to assist in agriculture and related areas.
From Port Moresby, Modi travelled to Australia for the last leg of his three-nation tour that began in Japan, where he participated in outreach sessions of the G7 Summit. In Australia, Modi will hold talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, address business leaders and interact with the Indian community.
