PM Modi participating in the third summit of FIPIC.Image Credit source: PTI
PM Narendra Modi Forum for India Pacific Island Cooperation i.e. in Papua New Guinea on Monday FIPIC participated in the summit. This is such a large group of small countries that India It holds great importance for diplomacy and strategy. The special thing is that this group consisting of many small countries was conceptualized by India only.
Among the 14 countries involved in the summit held on Monday, Indian PM Narendra Modi once again gave the slogan of Vasudhaiva Kutubankam here. PM Modi said that One Family One Future is our main mantra. Earlier on Sunday, PM Modi reached Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea from Japan. Here PM James Marape welcomed him in a grand manner and also touched the feet of the PM. This was the third summit of FIPIC. Let us know what is the meaning of this group for India and how it is the answer to every trick of China?
What is FIPIC
FIPIC is such an international group, whose foundation was laid on the initiative of India. The foundation of this group was laid in 2014 with the visit of PM Narendra Modi to Fiji. This effort was made when China was continuously increasing its interference in this region. In this group named Forum for India Pacific Island Cooperation, there are 14 small countries settled on the islands of the India Pacific region. In particular 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 etc. are included. India is the 15th and largest country of this group.
What is the importance for India
FIPIC is an important opportunity for India to engage with the Indo-Pacific region. These countries are situated on islands, despite being very small, these countries have great importance for India. In fact, till now India’s focus was only on the Indian Ocean, whereas China was constantly eyeing these island groups in the Indo-Pacific region. In such a situation, by increasing cooperative cooperation with these countries, India not only stopped the growing influence of China but also increased its interference in the Pacific Ocean region.
These countries have shocked China
China has long been eyeing the island countries of the Pacific region. Since 2006, China had continuously increased its activities in this area in terms of trade, economy and diplomacy. The special thing is that to make these countries in their favor, China had also distributed a lot of loans to them. However, only last year these countries gave a blow to China. In fact, exactly a year ago, the then Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, prepared a proposal by visiting these island countries for a marathon. This included cyber security and other proposals including opening of police training academies in these countries with the help of China. Although all the island countries refused to sign the agreement, after that China put the agreement on hold.
Helpful in financial interests as well
By increasing access to these island countries in the Pacific region, India stopped China’s increasing interference, but also opened doors of economic interests for itself. India is the only country in this field which can compete with China in every field. Actually the Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world. Which covers 46 percent of the water surface and 33 percent of the land area worldwide. Apart from this, 71 percent of the fish that is traded around the world is from the Pacific Ocean region only. Apart from this, the Pacific Ocean also has huge mineral and other hydrocarbon resources which can become of great importance for India in the field of energy as well.
this third summit
PM Narendra Modi had proposed the idea of setting up FIPIC during his visit to Fiji in 2014. Its purpose is to keep India’s relations with Pacific Island countries friendly. This is the third summit of FIPIC. The first conference of the group was held in Fiji at the time of its establishment. After this, the second conference was held in the month of August in 2015 in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.
