India, Papua New Guinea discuss ways to further enhance bilateral ties

New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita visited Papua New Guinea on September 16 and called on its Prime Minister James Marape, the MEA said on Wednesday. The two sides held wide-ranging discussions on various aspects of the bilateral relationship and discussed ways to further enhance ties.

Margherita represented Prime Minister Narendra Modi at commemorative events in Port Moresby marking Papua New Guinea's 50th anniversary of independence, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

The President of India has also sent a letter to Sir Bob Bofeng Dadae, the Governor-General of Papua New Guinea "conveying warm greetings of the people and the government of India to the government and friendly people of Papua New Guinea on the occasion of their 50th anniversary of Independence", it said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also conveyed greetings to his Papua New Guinea counterpart Justin Tkatchenko on the occasion.

Margherita visited Papua New Guinea at the invitation of its government.

During the visit, Margherita called on the prime minister of Papua New Guinea and conveyed the warm greetings of the government of India on the 50th anniversary of its independence, the MEA said.

"In this meeting, the two sides had wide-ranging discussions on various aspects of the bilateral relationship and discussed ways to further enhance ties between India and Papua New Guinea," it said.

Indian Naval Ship Kadmatt participated in Papua New Guinea's 50th anniversary events, including the fleet review from August 30 to September 8.

In Port Moresby, Margherita attended various events commemorating independence day of Papua New Guinea, including the Flag Raising Ceremony at Independence Hill.

On the sidelines of the events, the MoS also had brief pull-aside interactions with Wesley Simina, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, and Manoa Kamikamica, Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, the statement said.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Margherita said, "Glad to meet Hon'ble @AlboMP, Prime Minister of Australia, in Port Moresby on the sidelines of the commemorative events marking #PNGAt50. @MEAIndia".

As part of the visit, Margherita addressed members of the Indian diaspora at an event at the High Commission of India in Port Moresby and reaffirmed the Indian government's strong commitment towards the welfare of the community.

He appreciated their contribution to strengthening ties between the two countries.

Margherita, also the minister of state for textiles, held engaging discussions with the business community in Papua New Guinea, including leading textile entrepreneurs of the country, the statement said.

Following the historic 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) chaired by Prime Minister Modi in May 2023 in Port Moresby, the visit of the MoS to Papua New Guinea provided an opportunity to "continue our engagement with the leadership in the Pacific Island Countries (PICs)", the MEA said. PTI KND DIV DIV