PM Modi leaves for Australia after concluding Papua New Guinea visit

PM Modi leaves for Australia after concluding Papua New Guinea visit
Port Moresby:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday left for Australia on the third and final leg of his three-nation tour after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea where he co-hosted the first FIPIC summit and met leaders from the Pacific Island nations to boost bilateral ties. Modi is visiting Australia from May 22-24 as a guest of the Australian government. He will also attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia’s dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community.

“I thank PM James Marape for the warm welcome accorded. Now leaving for Australia to take part in various programmes in Sydney,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted. “My Papua New Guinea visit has been a historic one. I will greatly cherish the affection received among the people of this wonderful nation. I also had the opportunity to interact with respected FIPIC leaders and discuss ways to deepen ties with their respective nations,” he tweeted.

In Papua New Guinea, Modi held talks with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape and took stock of their bilateral relations. He also discussed ways to further augment cooperation in areas like commerce, technology, health care and climate change.

The two leaders co-hosted the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit on Monday, fostering regional cooperation.

During the summit, Prime Minister Modi conveyed to the Pacific island nations that they can see India as a reliable development partner as it respects their priorities and its approach to cooperation is based on human values.