Port Moresby, Feb 11 (IANS) India’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea Rajeev Kumar held a meeting with the country’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko on Wednesday, discussing strengthening bilateral ties.
“Rajeev Kumar, High Commissioner of India to Papua New Guinea, met with Justin Tkatchenko, Foreign Minister, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and advancing areas of mutual cooperation,” the Indian High Commission in Papua New Guinea posted on X.
In September last year, Union Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) Pabitra Margherita was on an official visit to Papua New Guinea to represent Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the commemorative events marking the country’s 50th anniversary of Independence.
During the visit, he called on Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and conveyed greetings of PM Modi and the people of India on the occasion of the country’s 50th anniversary of independence.
Margherita expressed both nations’ commitment to deepening bilateral and people-to-people ties.
“Honoured to call on Hon‘ble James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. Conveyed warm greetings from PM Shri Narendra Modi ji and the people of India 🇮🇳 on the occasion of PNG. At 50. Both countries remain committed to deepening bilateral and people-to-people ties,” MoS Margherita posted on X.
President Droupadi Murmu also sent a letter to Papua New Guinea’s Governor-General Sir Bob Bofeng Dadae and conveyed warm greetings of the people and the Government of India to the people of Papua New Guinea on the occasion of their 50th anniversary of Independence, according to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
MoS Margherita’s visit followed the momentum created by PM Modi’s landmark visit to Papua New Guinea in 2023, where both nations committed to deepening bilateral relations, expanding development partnerships and enhancing defence cooperation.
PM Modi had travelled to Port Moresby to host the FIPIC III Summit jointly with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape. Launched in 2014, FIPIC involves India and 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs), namely, the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
–IANS
akl/sd
