Leader of Global South: Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Marape hails PM Modi

Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape has hailed the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the "leader of the Global South", during his address at the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) on Monday. 

Marape said, 'We are victims of global powerplay... You (PM Modi) are the leader of Global South. We will rally behind your (India) leadership at global forums'. PM Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Pacific nation which is a part of the second leg of his three-nation visit. 

#WATCH | We are victims of global powerplay... You (PM Modi) are the leader of Global South. We will rally behind your (India) leadership at global forums: James Marape, PM of Papua New Guinea pic.twitter.com/ZISgb2eqMj

— ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2023

Sharing my remarks at the FIPIC Summit. https://t.co/hrAcS0TnYE

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 22, 2023

The summit assumes added significance because it takes place at a time when Beijing is actively working to increase both its military and diplomatic presence in the area. PM Modi had earlier stated, "I am grateful that all 14 Pacific Island Countries (PIC) have accepted the invitation to attend this important summit (FIPIC)." 

FIPIC was founded in 2014 by PM Modi

FIPIC was established during Prime Minister Modi's 2014 trip to Fiji. In a tweet, PM Modi said, "Prime Minister James Marape and I had very productive talks, covering the full range of bilateral relations between India and Papua New Guinea. We discussed ways to augment cooperation in commerce, technology, healthcare and in addressing climate change."

Prime Minister James Marape and I had very productive talks, covering the full range of bilateral relations between India and Papua New Guinea. We discussed ways to augment cooperation in commerce, technology, healthcare and in addressing climate change. pic.twitter.com/cKWpyYmdtc

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 22, 2023

Leaders from 14 nations are attending the FIPIC summit, which is a remarkable development given how infrequently they generally meet due to connectivity issues and other concerns.

Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are the nations that make up the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC). To promote collaboration and fortify ties with India in the Pacific area, these countries take part in FIPIC.