New Delhi, Oct 13 — Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, will be on an official visit to Samoa, the Cook Islands and Naoero from October 16-22.
During his visit, Margherita is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the senior leadership of the three Pacific Island countries, engage with other key stakeholders and members of the Indian community. He will also visit India-assisted development projects in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Tuesday.
"The visit underscores India’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Pacific Island Countries under the framework of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), and to further deepening political engagement and development cooperation with the region. It builds on the momentum of the 3rd FIPIC Summit held in Port Moresby in May 2023," the MEA mentioned in the statement.
In September, India and the Pacific Islands discussed further cooperation in renewable energy, climate action, disaster resilience, education, healthcare and capacity building sectors during a meeting of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Foreign Ministers, chaired by External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
The meeting witnessed participation from the Pacific Island Countries (PIC), including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of Samoa; the Foreign Ministers of Fiji, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu; Tonga's Finance Minister; the Secretary of the Department of Justice and Attorney General of Micronesia; the Health Minister of Vanuatu; the Deputy Foreign Minister of Naoero; and the Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
During the meeting, participants reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the FIPIC partnership and cooperation in regional and multilateral fora.
"The leaders reviewed the outcomes of the FIPIC Summits and welcomed progress in India-PIC cooperation, including under the 12-Point Action Plan announced in 2023 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi," the MEA had mentioned in a statement last month.
"They discussed further cooperation in renewable energy, climate action, disaster resilience, education, healthcare and capacity building. The Meeting reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen the FIPIC partnership and cooperation in regional and multilateral fora," it added.
During the meeting, EAM Jaishankar said that India's approach to the Pacific has consistently been demand-driven, development-oriented and people-centric. He underscored that India fully respects and supports the priorities articulated in the Pacific Island Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
EAM Jaishankar stated that India’s development projects in Pacific Island countries reflect their shared focus on strengthening livelihoods, building capacity and promoting sustainable development. He noted that significant progress has been achieved with regard to the Action Plan announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi spanning healthcare, renewables, connectivity, technology and capacity building.