India’s Modi lands in Papua New Guinea for Pacific summit

AFP |  Port Moresby

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com    

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Papua New Guinea yesterday or talks with Pacific island leaders, the first visit by an Indian premier.

Modi landed just after 10 pm local time (1200 GMT) in the capital Port Moresby, where he will co-host the Summit of the Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation today with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and other Pacific island leaders.

Today’s talks are set to focus largely on climate change and development.

The last such summit was hosted by India eight years ago. Modi was met by a gun salute, traditional dancers and was welcomed by Marape.

The visit comes after Modi joined leaders from the United States, Japan and Australia on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan for a gathering of the Quad members, which aims to contain China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

G7 leaders, along with Modi and others invited to the summit, warned China on Saturday over its “militarisation activities” in the Asia-Pacific region but said the bloc also wanted “constructive and stable relations” with Beijing.

The G7 nations laid out a raft of concerns about China’s economic and military activities in their final communique from Hiroshima.

More engagement New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins arrived in Papua New Guinea for the Pacific summit earlier yesterday.

Australian leader Anthony Albanese will be absent from the meeting after US President Joe Biden cut short his diplomatic tour over US debt crisis talks.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Papua New Guinea in 2018.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will replace Biden for a parallel summit in Papua New Guinea with Marape and Pacific leaders today, where he is expected to sign a security pact with the island nation.

After meeting Marape, Modi will head to Australia tomorrow for talks with Albanese to complete his three-nation tour.