India and Papua New Guinea recently conducted their second round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) virtually, where they discussed various aspects of their bilateral relations, including development partnership, political engagement, economic cooperation, and cultural ties. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the current positive trajectory of their relationship and agreed to enhance collaboration across different sectors. The Indian delegation, led by Vishwesh Negi, Joint Secretary (Oceania) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), engaged with Elias Wohengu, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Papua New Guinea during the consultations.
The discussions encompassed a wide range of topics, including cooperation in Multilateral fora, the Indo Pacific region, and exchanging views on regional and global developments of mutual interest. The first FOC took place in Port Moresby in 2022, with plans for the next round to be held in Port Moresby at a mutually convenient date. Last September, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita visited Papua New Guinea to represent Prime Minister Narendra Modi at events commemorating the country’s 50th anniversary of Independence.
During the visit, Margherita met with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape to convey greetings from PM Modi and the people of India on the occasion of the country’s independence anniversary. Both nations affirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral and people-to-people ties. The momentum for this deepening of relations was initiated by PM Modi’s visit to Papua New Guinea in 2023, where agreements were made to enhance bilateral relations, expand development partnerships, and bolster defense cooperation.
