Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday highlighted the significace of a free-and-open Indo-Pacific for the Pacific island nations and said the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) is working in this direction.
The QUAD Countries include the United States of America (USA), India, Australia, and Japan.
Modi also stressed the value of multilateralism and the importance of respecting each nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity in his speech at the FIPIC (Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation) conference. The summit took place at a time when China is working to increase its diplomatic and military might in the area.
Like you, we support a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific and respect the sovereignty and integrity of every country,'' Modi said. We also share your belief in multilateralism. He claimed that it is being worked towards by the Quad, which consists of Japan, India, Australia, and the United States. "We are willing to share our knowledge and experiences with you, whether it be in the areas of digital technology or space technology, food security or health security, or environmental protection or climate change. He added, "We are with you every step of the journey.
Modi also asserted that the UN Security Council should give special attention to the voice of the developing world. We should all prioritise international institution reform in order to achieve this, he said.
Prime Minister Modi and his counterpart from Papua New Guinea co-chaired the conference. The 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are a part of New Delhi's Act East Policy, which includes India.
India's interaction with PICs is mostly facilitated through the South-South Cooperation program's development aid, which primarily takes the shape of capacity-building and community development initiatives.
The Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) is a significant effort that was formed under the auspices of the Act East Policy for the PICs. On November 19, 2014, while in Fiji, Prime Minister Modi hosted the inaugural FIPIC summit.
All 14 PICs attended the second FIPIC summit, which took place on August 21 in Jaipur.At that summit, India unveiled a wide range of efforts to help PICs overcome obstacles and realise their objectives for the welfare and development of their populations.
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