New York, Sep 24. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chaired the second Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), with India and Pacific Island countries reviewing progress in bilateral cooperation and identifying areas for further collaboration.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23 and brought together senior representatives from a large number of Pacific Island Countries (PIC).
Among those attending were the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Samoa, foreign ministers of Fiji, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, and the Finance Minister of Tonga.
The meeting was also attended by the Secretary of the Department of Justice and Attorney General of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Health Minister of Vanuatu, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Nauru and the Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum.
The participants reviewed the outcomes of the FIPIC Summits and took stock of progress in India-Pacific Islands cooperation, including initiatives under the 12-Point Action Plan announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023.
Discussions focused on expanding cooperation in key areas such as renewable energy, climate action, disaster resilience, education, healthcare and capacity building.
The meeting also reaffirmed the commitment of India and the Pacific Island countries to further strengthen their partnership and coordinate efforts in regional and multilateral forums.
The FIPIC framework was established to deepen India’s engagement with the Pacific Island countries, with cooperation spanning development assistance, climate change, healthcare, education, connectivity and capacity building.
