PM Modi to Embark on 6-day Visit to Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia from May 19 to 24

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 17th May. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will depart for Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Australia on Friday to attend three crucial multilateral summits, including the Group of Seven (G7) and the Quad, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Tuesday.

PM Modi will begin his tour in Hiroshima, Japan, from May 19 to 21, for the annual summit of the G7 major countries, where he is scheduled to address global issues such as food, fertilizer, and energy security.

PM Modi will proceed from Japan to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, where he will co-host the third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) conference on May 22 with Prime Minister James Marape.

It will be the first visit to Papua New Guinea by an Indian prime minister.

FIPIC was founded in 2014 by India and 14 Pacific Island nations: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa, Vanuatu, Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, Palau, Nauru, and Solomon Islands.

PM Modi will visit Sydney for the third and last part of his journey from May 22 to 24 to attend the Quad summit.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host the Quad summit, which will also include US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

The MEA stated that PM Modi is visiting Japan at the invitation of Prime Minister Kishida. Japan is hosting the G7 summit in its present capacity as G7 chair.

“During the summit, the prime minister will speak at G7 sessions with partner countries, on subjects such as peace, stability & prosperity of a sustainable planet; food, fertiliser and energy security; health; gender equality; climate change and environment; resilient infrastructure; and development cooperation,” the MEA said in a statement.

It said PM Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting with Kishida. He will also hold bilateral meetings with some of the other participating leaders on the side-lines of the summit, it said.

In Papua New Guinea too, Mr Modi will have bilateral engagements including meetings with Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae and Prime Minister James Marape, according to the MEA.

It said the Quad summit will provide an opportunity for the leaders of the coalition to exchange views about developments in the Indo-Pacific region and advance their vision for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

“Quad partners are deeply invested in the success of the Indo-Pacific. Leveraging our collective strengths helps Australia advance its interests and more effectively respond to the region’s needs,” Albanese said last month.

During his visit to Australia, PM Modi will have a bilateral meeting with Albanese on May 24.

Prime Minister Modi will also interact with Australian CEOs and business leaders, and address the Indian diaspora at a community event in Sydney on May 23, the MEA said.