Balance in the Indo-Pacific region, why are Pacific island countries so important for India?

India Pacific Islands Cooperation: In the Indo-Pacific region, India is currently in a position in which its importance increases for the whole world. It is also a constant effort of India to create such an atmosphere in these areas, so that no country can fulfill its expansionist intention through its aggressive attitude.

America and China have had a great influence on these island countries. However, gradually all these countries started understanding the plans of America and China and now want to strengthen relations with India. In this context, the importance of Pacific or Pacific island countries increases a lot. The 14 small countries coming in this region are very important from the strategic point of view.

Indo-Pacific Islands Cooperation Forum meeting

Seeing the strategic importance of Pacific island countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Papua New Guinea. This was the first time that an Indian Prime Minister had visited this country. Prime Minister Modi reached here on 21 May. He participated in the third summit of the Forum for Indo-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) on 22 May. This step by the Indian Prime Minister is a major diplomatic step in order to increase and make India’s presence effective in the Indo-Pacific region.

Told India a reliable partner

Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured these small Pacific island nations that India is their reliable partner. Without naming China, he also expressed that those whom you used to trust earlier, never stood by you when needed. Projecting India as a reliable partner, PM Modi also assured that New Delhi will not only cooperate with those countries in every way without any hesitation, but India will also share its expertise in different fields with them. ready for. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also unveiled a 12-point development program for the region at the FIPIC summit, focusing on healthcare, cyberspace, clean energy, water and small-scale industries.

India has always been helping

During the Kovid epidemic, India had openly helped these Pacific island countries. During the Kovid epidemic, India had helped these countries a lot in meeting small to big needs like vaccines, medicines, wheat to sugar. Referring to this, PM Modi said that India gives equal importance to the priorities of small countries and gives more importance to human values ​​than personal interest for cooperation.

China wants to increase influence on these countries

A free and open Indo-Pacific region is very important for India as well as for the whole world, where every country respects international laws and unrestricted movement can be ensured. In this sense also, the geographical location of Pacific island countries has strategic importance for India like China and America. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain the sovereignty and integrity of the Pacific island countries. China is continuously adopting an aggressive attitude in these areas. Apart from giving loans for this, China is increasing its influence on the Pacific island countries in many other ways.

India’s emphasis on increasing relations

India wants that all these countries should not fall under the influence of China or say, because through this China can fulfill its intention of increasing its military dominance in the Pacific region. This is the reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told these countries that for India you are not a small island nation, but a big ocean country. Pacific Ocean only connects India with these countries. While assuring India to strengthen relations, Prime Minister Modi made it clear that India sees the whole world as one family.

On this visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, some announcements were made by India for 14 Pacific Island countries, which are as follows:

• 12 point development program for healthcare, cyber space, clean energy, water and small and medium industries
• Setting up of a super-specialty cardiology hospital in Fiji, Government of India will bear the entire cost
• Help set up dialysis units in all 14 Pacific island countries
• Maritime ambulance service for all countries
• Series of new development initiatives from India in cyber space
• Announcement to open Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Pacific Island nations to make medicines available at affordable prices
• Yoga centers proposed to be opened in all 14 Pacific island countries
• Project for the development of the small and medium enterprise sector in each Pacific island country
• Announcement to provide desalination units to every Pacific island country to solve the problem of water scarcity
• ‘Centre of Excellence for IT’ to be upgraded in Papua New Guinea
• At least one government building in Pacific island countries to be converted into a solar-powered building

Confidence to continue helping Pacific Island countries

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that whenever there is a disaster in the world, the less developed countries have to bear the maximum impact. Island countries are already facing challenges related to climate change, natural disaster, hunger, poverty and health. These countries are now also facing challenges regarding the supply of food, fuel, fertilizers and medicines. India has assured to continue helping all the Pacific Island countries in dealing with these challenges.

India has emerged as the voice of the Global South

The concerns of small countries and their voices are not given due importance in global institutions like the United Nations. India has always believed that the voice of the Global South should be given equal importance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured these countries that reforms in institutions like UN will be a common priority of India and the island nations. He also informed the island nations that the Quad meeting in Hiroshima had decided to set up a Radio Access Network (RAN) in Palau.

India has continuously emerged as a loud voice of the less developed countries. Even as the G20 President, India is constantly raising this issue. In January this year, the Voice of the Global South Summit was also organized in India, in which representatives of Pacific Island countries, apart from other poor and less developed countries, also participated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also said that India considers it its duty to confront the world with the concerns, expectations and aspirations of the ‘Global South’ through the G20. Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the visit to Papua New Guinea was historic.

FIPIC was started in 2014

India is increasing engagement and cooperation with 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) under the ‘Act East’ policy. These countries include Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was started in 2014 to strengthen India’s relations with these countries. Its first meeting was held in Fiji’s capital Suva in November 2014, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had traveled to Fiji at that time to attend. At the same time, its second summit was held in Jaipur on 21 August 2015, in which all these 14 Pacific island countries participated.

Seeing the enthusiasm of these countries regarding the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Where the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape took blessings by touching the feet of Prime Minister Modi. Papua New Guinea and Fiji honored Prime Minister Narendra Modi with their country’s highest civilian honour. Whereas Palau honored PM Modi. Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the leader of the Global South and assured to support India on global forums. About 100 countries of the world come in the Global South. This word is used for such countries, which are less developed or say poor countries.

Pacific island countries are the cut of China’s dominance

the way the Prime Minister of these countries Narendra Modi It is clear from the response and enthusiasm shown about the visit of China that in the coming days, China’s influence on these countries will gradually decrease and trust in India will increase. This threat to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region is a global counterweight to China’s hegemonic strategy. Along with this, India’s strategic presence in the Indo-Pacific region will also be strengthened.

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