Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Port Moresby, Papua New Guineas capital, on his first visit to the country. During his visit, he met separately with his counterpart James Marape and Governor-General Bob Dadae, emphasising the importance of strengthening bilateral ties in a variety of fields. Modi attended a crucial summit between India and 14 Pacific Island countries to strengthen bilateral ties.The APEC Houses PM James Marape graciously greeted Modi upon his arrival, according to a tweet from the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi. The FIPIC III Summit, which aimed at developing regional cooperation, was co-hosted by the two leaders. The prime ministers meetings addressed a wide range of topics, including building collaborations across many sectors, climate action, and increasing people-to-people ties.PM @narendramodi arrives at the iconic APEC House located on the shores of Ela Beach in Port Moresby. Warmly welcomed by PM James Marape. The two leaders will co-host the FIPIC III Summit, fostering regional cooperation. pic.twitter.com/GliE55xyGE— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 21, 2023The FIPIC SummitThe MEA spokesperson emphasised Modi and Marapes constructive bilateral meeting, during which they discussed developing relationships in trade and investment, healthcare, capacity building, skill development, and information technology. Climate action and the promotion of interpersonal relationships were also subjects of discussion. The FIPIC (Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation) was established during Modis 2014 visit to Fiji and is significant at a time when China is seeking to increase its military and diplomatic influence in the area.Modi posted a photo of himself shaking hands with Marape on Twitter, expressing gratitude for their constructive conversations and all aspects of bilateral cooperation between India and Papua New Guinea. They looked into opportunities for collaboration in trade, technology, healthcare, and addressing climate change. During the conference, they also launched a translation of the Tamil classic Thirukkural into Papua New Guineas Tok Pisin language, with the goal of bringing Indian thinking and culture closer to the people of the country.Prime Minister James Marape and I had very productive talks, covering the full range of bilateral relations between India and Papua New Guinea. We discussed ways to augment cooperation in commerce, technology, healthcare and in addressing climate change. pic.twitter.com/cKWpyYmdtc— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 22, 2023Image: TwitterEarlier in the day, Modi met with Papua New Guineas Governor-General, Bob Dadae, at the Government House, emphasising the importance of India-Papua New Guinea relations and the two nations development collaboration.Following his participation in the G7 conference in Japan and bilateral discussions with different world leaders, Prime Minister Modis travel to Papua New Guinea is the first by an Indian PM. He was given a ceremonial greeting, which is unusual because Papua New Guinea generally does not extend such a welcome after sunset.The presence of leaders from 14 countries at the FIPIC Summit was rare due to connectivity and logistical issues. Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu were among the countries that took part.All you need to know about Papua New Guinea PM James MarapeJames Marape is a member of the PANGU Pati political party and was elected in 2019. Unlike any other foreign leader, the 52-year-old made a particular exception for Prime Minister Modi during his visit. Marape graduated with honours from the University of Papua New Guinea in 1993, and he also has a Postgraduate Honours in Environmental Science and a Masters degree in Business Administration. As Papua New Guineas eighth prime minister, he has held key cabinet posts in past governments. Marapes previous positions included parliamentary secretary for works and transport, as well as representation on the parliamentary referral committee on intergovernmental relations. In 2019, he left the Peoples National Congress Party to join the Pangu PATI. According to reports, his government faced an unsuccessful attempt to be overturned through a no-confidence motion in 2020.
