Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea). India today announced several important gifts for Pacific Island countries in health, drinking water, education, information technology and industrial development and expressed its resolve to further strengthen this partnership of humanitarian cooperation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made these announcements while addressing the closing ceremony of the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) held in the capital of Papua New Guinea. In his address, Mr. Leaders of 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 Thank you for coming and joining the brainstorming Diya and said that the ideas that have emerged from today’s brainstorming will definitely be looked into. He said that we have some common priorities and Pacific island countries have some needs.
It is our endeavor at this forum that our partnership takes both these aspects into consideration. Shri Modi made some announcements to take the cooperation forward in FIPIC. He said that to strengthen health and medicine in the Pacific region, we have decided to build a super-specialty cardiology hospital in Fiji. Equipped with trained staff, state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure, this hospital will become a lifeline for the entire region. The Government of India will bear the full cost of this mega green-field project. He said that India will help in setting up dialysis units in all the 14 Pacific island countries and will also provide sea ambulances to these 14 countries. He said that in the year 2022, we had organized Jaipur Foot Camp in Fiji. In this camp, more than 600 people were fitted with artificial limbs free of cost. He said that this year we have decided to organize Jaipur Foot Camp in Papua New Guinea. From the year 2024, two more such camps will be organized every year in the Pacific Island countries.
The Prime Minister said that through the Jan Aushadhi scheme in India, 1800 generic medicines of good quality at affordable prices are being made available to the people. For example, anti-diabetic medicine is available at Jan Aushadhi Kendra at 90 percent less than the market price and all other medicines at 60 to 90 percent less. He proposed to open similar Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Pacific Island countries as well.Shri Modi said that scientific studies show that yoga can be of great use in preventing lifestyle diseases like diabetes. India proposes to set up a yoga center in the Pacific Islands. He said that a 24×7 emergency helpline facility would be created for the citizens of Fiji. We would be happy to establish such a facility in all Pacific Island countries as well.
The Prime Minister said that the Center of Excellence for IT in Papua New Guinea will be upgraded to become a regional information technology and cyber security hub. Announcing the project for the development of the small and medium enterprise sector in each Pacific island country, he said that under this scheme machinery and technology would be supplied and programs would be organized for capacity building. Everyone liked the project of solarizing the houses. Now we will make at least one government building solar powered in all FIPIC countries. He also announced the distribution of desalination units to every Pacific island nation to address the problem of drinking water.
Taking forward our long-standing cooperation in capacity building in FIPIC countries, Shri Modi also announced the launch of the ‘Sagar Amrit Scholarship’ scheme for Pacific Island Countries and allocation of 1000 ITEC training seats over the next five years under it. Expressing his special fondness for it, he said that it challenges the boundaries. And at the same time considers the limits of human cooperation as unlimited. Hope to have a chance to welcome you next time in India. He also said that as a friend, he also hopes that India’s UN Security Council membership in 2028-29 will also get the support of Pacific Island countries, to raise the voice of the Global South in the United Nations.
Inputs From: Amrit Vichar
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