Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Papua New Guinea, his next stop during his three-nation visit. At Port Moresby, Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the island nation was welcomed by the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape who touched PM Modi’s feet seeking his blessings.
The Prime Minister received a ceremonial welcome on his arrival and was also accorded a Guard of Honour. People from the Indian diaspora were also present to welcome Modi at Port Moresby.
The Pacific island nation is the second stop on the Prime Minister Modi’s three-nation visit after he concluding the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Japan's Hiroshima.
PM Modi will be hosting the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC III Summit) jointly with PM Marape tomorrow.
Launched in 2014, FIPIC involves India and 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs), namely, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
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He will have bilateral engagements in the the island nation which will include meetings with Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae and Marape.
PM Modi's visit to Papua New Guinea is being considered more crucial than his trips to Japan for the G7 summit and Australia for the Quad meeting as New Delhi is worried over the island nation’s growing proximity with China which poses a potential security threat to the entire region and the Indo-Pacific strategic framework.
A top official source told ABPLive, PM’s visit to the Pacific island is not only focussed on bolstering ties with the South Pacific islands but to also take ties with PNG to “newer heights both strategically as well as economically”.