India seeks tighter cooperation with South Pacific island nations: president

“Am sure it will strengthen India’s bond with the Pacific island nations”.

Prime Minister Modi had played an instrumental role in the creation of the India-Pacific Islands summit format as a means for India to advance its interests in the region and to work with Pacific Island nations on issues including trade, climate change, diplomacy, and space cooperation.

“Our government attaches great importance to its relations with our friends in the Pacific island countries”.

“India also urges the Pacific Island countries to forge a global partnership to harness technology, innovation and finance to put affordable, clean and renewable energy within the reach of our countries”, she said.

In tweets, Modi said: “I am very optimistic about FIPIC Summit. We hope this will support specific projects prioritised by you”, he said.

Mukherjee said India appreciates the support it has received from them for its candidature for permanent membership of an expanded UN Security Council.

“India has made considerable progress in the field of IT, health, solar energy, disaster mitigation and management, agriculture – particularly coconut and coir and oil and natural gas exploration”.

One of the key outcomes of the first summit in Suva, Fiji was that top leadership of both India and Pacific Islands should meet at a regular intervals and that an annual summit must be instituted in this regard.

The island nations participating in the FIPIC summit include Fiji, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Tonga.

Later today, the FIPIC delegations are slated to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Speaking on the occasion, the President welcomed them to India.

The second FIPIC Summit will be held on Aug 21 in Jaipur.