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Source: The post is based on the article “What is the FIPIC summit that PM Modi attended in Papua New Guinea?” published in Indian Express on 24th May 2023
What is the News?
The third India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit was held in Papua New Guinea.
What is FIPIC?
The Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched during the Indian PM’s visit to Fiji in 2014.
FIPIC includes 14 island countries – Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu – that are located in the Pacific Ocean, to the northeast of Australia.
The first FIPIC summit was held in 2014 at Suva, Fiji’s capital city.
A major part of India’s engagement with these countries is through development assistance under South-South Cooperation, mainly in capacity building (training, scholarships, grant-in-aid and loan assistance) and community development projects.
About India’s Assistance to Pacific Island Countries
India has supported Fiji and Papua New Guinea by providing indelible ink for their general elections.
An important healthcare initiative, the Jaipur Foot Camp, was organized in Fiji in collaboration with the Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services, fully funded by the Indian government.During the camp, approximately 600 Fijians received customized prosthetic limbs.
India has also extended Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to Pacific Island Countries (PICs) on several occasions.
In addition to bilateral engagements, the establishment of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund in 2017 has been significant.The fund’s primary objective is to provide assistance to developing countries, with a specific focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and small island developing states, by supporting sustainable development projects that are based on their specific needs and demands.
What happened at the third FIPIC summit in 2023?
Indian Prime Minister announced initiatives such as:
– Establishment of a super-speciality cardiology hospital in Fiji. The Indian government will bear the full cost of this mega greenfield project.
– Sea ambulances will be provided to all 14 Pacific island countries.
– The PM also pledged to provide desalination units for the people of every Pacific Island country.
