Third Forum for India Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit

Contact Counsellor

Last Updated24/05/2023

Recently, PM Modi paid his maiden visit to Papua New Guinea where he co-hosted the 3rd FIPIC summit.
His visit to Papua New Guinea highlights the growing strategic significance of the Pacific Island nations that has also received attention from China.
In 2022, China signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands.
During this visit, PM Modi conferred with the:
Highest honour of Fiji - the Companion of the Order of Fiji;
Highest award of Papua New Guinea - the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL).

Highlighted the importance of Pacific Island Countries (PICs)
- He said that Small Island nations of the Pacific Ocean are in fact large ocean states and they are connected with India through Ocean.
India as development partner of PICs
- He highlighted some of the development works done by India in the region. These included:
  - Convention Center in Palau;
  - Waste management project in Nauru;
  - Seeds for cyclone-affected farmers in Fiji;
  - And solar light project in Kiribati.
- The Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Research Institute (SCORI) has been established at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji with the help of India.
  - SCORI entails building up a network of marine biology research stations in various island nations in the Pacific Ocean to collaborate on research and capacity building with institutions in India.
Increased space cooperation
- PM expressed his happiness that the launch of the website for space technology is taking place for national and human development.
- Through this, respective PICs can download remote sensing data of their countries from the Indian satellite network.
- It can then be utilised for the preparation of respective national development plans.