New York, Sep 24 (IANS) India and the Pacific Islands discussed further cooperation in renewable energy, climate action, disaster resilience, education, healthcare and capacity building sectors during a meeting of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Foreign Ministers, chaired by External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Thursday.
The meeting witnessed participation from the Pacific Island Countries (PIC), including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of Samoa; the Foreign Ministers of Fiji, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu; Tonga's Finance Minister; the Secretary of the Department of Justice and Attorney General of Micronesia; the Health Minister of Vanuatu; the Deputy Foreign Minister of Naoero; and the Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the MEA stated.
During the meeting, participants reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the FIPIC partnership and cooperation in regional and multilateral fora.
"The leaders reviewed the outcomes of the FIPIC Summits and welcomed progress in India-PIC cooperation, including under the 12-Point Action Plan announced in 2023 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi," the MEA mentioned in a statement.
"They discussed further cooperation in renewable energy, climate action, disaster resilience, education, healthcare and capacity building. The Meeting reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen the FIPIC partnership and cooperation in regional and multilateral fora," it added.
During the meeting, EAM Jaishankar said that India's approach to the Pacific has consistently been demand-driven, development-oriented and people-centric. He underscored that India fully respects and supports the priorities articulated in the Pacific Island Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
EAM Jaishankar stated that India’s development projects in Pacific Island countries reflect their shared focus on strengthening livelihoods, building capacity and promoting sustainable development. He noted that significant progress has been achieved with regard to the Action Plan announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi spanning healthcare, renewables, connectivity, technology and capacity building.
He acknowledged that El Nino poses serious challenges for Pacific Island Countries and expressed India's readiness to help ameliorate the adverse effects of the phenomenon. He highlighted India's efforts to cooperate in space, sustainable coastal and ocean research.
EAM Jaishankar encouraged all participants to join the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, under which several projects on climate change, renewable energy and sustainable development are already underway.
--IANS
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