India has proposed customised capacity-building programmes for Pacific Island Countries (PICs) based on their individual priorities. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar made the proposal at the second FIPIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New York, held alongside the 81st UN General Assembly.
Jaishankar said India could design specialised training modules in areas identified by Pacific Island countries as priorities. Professionals from the region could undertake focused training in India for specified periods.
The meeting reviewed progress since the 3rd FIPIC Summit in 2023, including cooperation under the FIPIC framework and the India-UN Development Partnership Fund.
Healthcare remains a major area of India-PIC cooperation. Jaishankar highlighted progress on a 100-bed super-specialty hospital in Fiji, which India expects to support healthcare needs across the Pacific region.
India has also supplied hemodialysis machines to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Palau, Nauru, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands, with additional deliveries underway.
India is procuring 20 sea ambulances requested by 12 member states, with delivery expected by March 2027. An artificial limb fitment camp is also planned in Fiji in October for around 650 eligible patients.
India has committed to establishing IT centres of excellence and training local trainers. Such initiatives have already been completed in several Pacific countries.
India has also completed the solarisation of 2,800 households across 14 Pacific Island Countries, along with training for 70 women solar engineers.
Two India-UN Development Partnership Fund projects are currently underway, covering healthcare in the Federated States of Micronesia and water infrastructure in Tuvalu.
India plans to establish a Space Technology Application Centre in Papua New Guinea and a Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Research Institute at the University of the South Pacific.
Jaishankar said both initiatives remain India’s commitments despite progress being slower than anticipated.
India has invited PICs to submit proposals for quick-impact projects aimed at directly benefiting local communities. Seven member states have submitted proposals so far.
India has also undertaken 20 projects through the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, with three currently ongoing. Many focus on climate change, renewable energy and sustainable development.
Jaishankar welcomed India’s inclusion in the strategic partners stream of the Pacific Islands Forum. India also highlighted cooperation through the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
