Indian Prime Minister meets Pacific Island leaders

The United States and its allies are seeking to strengthen ties with Pacific island nations, which span 40 million square kilometers of ocean. Pacific island leaders say rising sea levels caused by climate change are their most pressing security priority.

Prime Minister An Do meets with leaders of Binh Duong provinces, photo 1 — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is welcomed by Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape at Jackson International Airport, in Papua New Guinea on May 21, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Mr Modi told the 14 leaders of the Indo-Pacific Islands Cooperation Forum that India would be a trusted development partner for small island states and was committed to a "free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific".

“There is no doubt that we are ready to share our capabilities and experiences in digital technology, space technology, health security, food security, climate change and environmental protection,” he said in his opening remarks at the Pacific Island summit.

The leaders of the Quad grouping of Australia, the US, Japan and India have agreed in Hiroshima to strengthen cooperation with Pacific island nations, he added.

In his opening remarks, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape urged India to think of small island nations “that suffer the consequences of big players in the game”.

For example, the fighting between Russia and Ukraine has caused inflation and high fuel and energy prices in small economies in the region, Mr. Marape said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to sign the US-Papua New Guinea Defense Cooperation Agreement and hold meetings with Pacific Island leaders in the afternoon.

Several universities have staged campus protests against the signing of the Defence Cooperation Agreement, amid concerns it will upset China. Marape has denied it will halt Papua New Guinea’s cooperation with China, a key trading partner.

The Papua New Guinea government said earlier that the US defense deal was an extension of an existing agreement aimed at boosting Papua New Guinea's defense infrastructure and capabilities after decades of neglect.

The defense deal will also see an increased US military presence over the next decade, Mr Marape told media on Sunday.

The US State Department said Washington will provide $45 million in new funds in partnership with Papua New Guinea to enhance economic and security cooperation, including protective equipment for the Papua New Guinea defense force, climate change mitigation and tackling transnational crime and HIV/AIDS.

Mai Van (according to Reuters)

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