Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will meet Pacific Island leaders in Papua New Guinea next month for a “historic future-oriented” meeting, said the region’s Prime Minister James Marape in a statement on Sunday. On their way to Australia for the Quad, Modi and Biden will stop in Papua New Guinea. Japan and Australia will also be present. Both state leaders will be making their first official visit to Papua New Guinea. Modi’s two-day visit to the island country begins on May 21, and Biden arrives on May 22. On May 22, both will attend the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation Summit (India Pacific Summit).
The Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are among the 14 Pacific Islands represented at the Forum, with India serving as the head of state/government.
Strengthening ties with Papa New Guinea is a key security policy priority for the Biden administration, as the island nation is courted by China as Marape seeks to increase foreign investment. In 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to the country.
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