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Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Pabitra Margherita (MoS), will undertake a visit to Tonga on August 28-29, 2024 to attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders' Meeting with Dialogue Partners.
The meeting is being held as a part of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum and related meetings, a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs said. The PIF is the apex intergovernmental organization in the Pacific Region consisting of 18 members, namely, Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Since 2002, India has been a Dialogue Partner of the Forum. Following the historic 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2023 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, the visit of MoS would provide an opportunity for leadership to engage with key decision-makers from all 14 FIPIC Countries and also meet with other Dialogue Partners on the sidelines of the PIF Meeting, the release said. MoS will also have high-level bilateral engagements with the Tongan leadership. India-Tonga partnership draws its strength from shared values of mutual respect, trust and cooperation. The visit will reaffirm the strong commitment of both countries to further strengthen the bilateral partnership for progress and prosperity. The participation of MoS at the 53rd PIF Leaders' Meeting in Tonga will be the first-ever participation at the Ministerial level from India in the PIF Meetings. The visit is expected to further strengthen and deepen India's traditionally close partnership with the PIF and the Pacific Island Countries, including Tonga. Tonga and India have traditionally enjoyed a close relationship. Late King Tupou IV and Queen paid state visits to India in 1971 and 1976, according to the official website of the High Commission of India in Fiji. Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Tonga in 1981. The interaction between India and Tonga has gradually increased since the reopening of the High Commission of India, Suva in 1999. The then Tongan PM/Foreign Minister visited India in May 2002. (ANI)
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