PM Modi leaves for Australia after concluding Papua New Guinea visit

Port Moresby, May 22 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday left for Australia on the third and final leg of his three-nation tour after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea where he co-hosted the first FIPIC summit and met leaders from the Pacific Island nations to boost bilateral ties.

Modi is visiting Australia from May 22-24 as a guest of the Australian Government. He will also attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia’s dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community.

“I thank PM James Marape for the warm welcome accorded. Now leaving for Australia to take part in various programmes in Sydney,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

“My Papua New Guinea visit has been a historic one. I will greatly cherish the affection received among the people of this wonderful nation. I also had the opportunity to interact with respected FIPIC leaders and discuss ways to deepen ties with their respective nations,” he tweeted.

In Papua New Guinea, Modi held talks with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape and took stock of their bilateral relations. He also discussed ways to further augment cooperation in areas like commerce, technology, healthcare and climate change.

The two leaders co-hosted the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit on Monday, fostering regional cooperation.

During the summit, Prime Minister Modi conveyed to the Pacific island nations that they can see India as a reliable development partner as it respects their priorities and its approach to cooperation is based on human values.

“India respects your priorities. We are proud to be your development partner — be it humanitarian aid or your development, you can see India as a reliable partner. Our approach is based on human values,” Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit the country, said.

India’s engagement with the 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) is part of New Delhi’s Act East Policy.

Prime Minister Modi also attended the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan from May 20 to 21. He also held bilateral meetings with several world leaders. He also reiterated India’s stand that the Ukraine conflict.

Modi said he views the current situation in Ukraine as an issue of humanity and human values and not of politics or economy even as he called for respecting international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.

Ahead of Modi’s arrival, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that, “I am honoured to host Prime Minister Modi for an official visit to Australia, after receiving an extremely warm welcome in India earlier this year.”

“Australia and India share a commitment to a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Together we have an important role to play in supporting this vision,” he said, amidst China’s aggressive behaviour in the region as well as its efforts to expand its influence.

He will also hold a bilateral meeting with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese.

Modi began his three-nation tour on Friday from Japan where he attended three sessions at the G7 summit following an invitation by Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.

Modi along with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese also attended the 3rd in-person Quad Summit.
The Quad meeting was moved to the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Japan’s Hiroshima after US President Biden postponed his trip to Australia to return to Washington, amid ongoing negotiations over raising the US debt limit.