Honiara, Nov 11 (IANS) India's High Commissioner to Solomon Islands Rajeev Kumar on Wednesday presented his Letter of Credence to Solomon Islands Governor General Sir David Tiva Kapu.

The Indian High Commission in Papua New Guinea termed it a "step forward" in further deepening ties between India and the Solomon Islands.

"On 11 November, High Commissioner Rajeev Kumar presented his Letter of Credence to the Governor General of Solomon Islands, Sir David Tiva Kapu at the Government House, Solomon Islands. A step forward in further deepening India–Solomon Islands ties," it posted on X.

On November 9, the High Commissioner-designate met Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Cooper Wale, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation across various sectors, the High Commission said.

In September, India and the Pacific Islands nations 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 S. Jaishankar, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, as per the Ministry of External Affairs.

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 said 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.

--IANS

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