Modi Receives Warm Welcome in Papua New Guinea, PM Marape Touches His Feet | WATCH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was warmly welcomed in Papua New Guinea on Sunday as he arrived for the second leg of his three-nation tour. In a traditional gesture of respect, his counterpart James Marape bowed down to touch the feet of PM Modi.

He was accorded with a Guard of Honour at Port Moresby and was also given a ceremonial welcome by the government.

The Indian diaspora members greeted him with great enthusiasm, and Prime Minister Modi reciprocated by smiling, waving and posing for selfies with them.

PM Modi expressed gratitude upon his welcome in a tweet and said, “I am thankful to PM James Marape for coming to the airport and welcoming me. This is a very special gesture which I will always remember. I look forward to boosting India’s ties with this great nation during my visit.”

Prime Minister Modi visit to the Pacific Island nation follows the successful completion of his visit to Japan for the G7 and Quad summits. This historic trip marks the first-ever visit by an Indian prime minister to Papua New Guinea.

Additionally, the Prime Minister is scheduled to launch the Tok Pisin translation of “The Tirukkural” in Papua New Guinea. “The Tirukkural” is a renowned Tamil text composed by the esteemed poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar. Tok Pisin, one of the official languages of Papua New Guinea, will be the medium for this release ceremony.

FIPIC Summit

During his visit, he will co-host the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) alongside his counterpart James Marape on Monday.

Expressing his gratitude for the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), the Prime Minister previously stated, “I am thankful that all 14 Pacific Island Countries (PIC) have accepted the invitation to participate in this significant FIPIC summit.” The establishment of FIPIC took place during his visit to Fiji in 2014.

The summit is scheduled amidst China’s ongoing endeavors to strengthen its military and diplomatic presence in the region.

The FIPIC Summit will witness the participation of leaders from 14 countries, a rare occurrence due to connectivity and other logistical challenges, sources told PTI. The participating countries include Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

During the summit, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to engage in bilateral talks with Prime Minister Marape and also meet with Bob Dadae, the Governor General of Papua New Guinea. Additionally, he will have a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.

While Australian leader Anthony Albanese will not be attending the Pacific summit, US President Joe Biden took an early departure from his diplomatic tour for debt crisis talks. Instead, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will represent Biden at a parallel summit in Papua New Guinea, where he is anticipated to sign a security pact with the island nation and engage with Prime Minister Marape and Pacific leaders.

Following his meeting with Marape, Prime Minister Modi will proceed to Australia on Tuesday to hold discussions with Anthony Albanese, concluding his three-nation tour.