Indian warship visits Papua New Guinea on its Independence Day
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Indian warship visits Papua New Guinea on its Independence Day")
Indian warship visits Papua New Guinea on its Independence Day Photograph: (WION)
India and Papua New Guinea have been upping the defence engagements. In April 2024, PNG appointed Colonel Edison Napyo as its first Defence Adviser to India, a significant step to enhance military cooperation.
In a symbolic message of growing India-Papua New Guinea ties, an Indian Navy warship visited the country's capital, Port Moresby, coinciding with the 50th Independence Day celebrations. Indian Navy's indigenous ASW Corvette INS Kadmatt arrived in August, which the Indian side in a statement said, " reaffirmed the growing friendship and maritime partnership between India and Papua New Guinea". According to the statement, the "goodwill visit" symbolises India's commitment to "strengthening its engagement with Pacific Island nations under the Act East Policy and promoting peace, stability, and inclusive growth in the Indo-Pacific region".
During the port call, INS Kadmatt participated in Papua New Guinea's (PNG) Independence Day Parade and cultural events. The ship's crew engaged with Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGFD) to explore avenues for cooperation in maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. The ship also hosted the PNG Chief of Defence Forces on board to showcase the Indian Navy's journey of ‘Aatma Nirbharta’ in defence.
In 2023, PM Modi visited the country, the first-ever visit of an Indian PM to the Pacific country. During the visit, PM attended the 3rd Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit with PNG PM James Marape and was conferred the country's highest civilian award, the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu.
India and Papua New Guinea have been upping the defence engagements. In April 2024, PNG appointed Colonel Edison Napyo as its first Defence Adviser to India, a significant step to enhance military cooperation. In August 2023, two Indian Navy ships, INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata, made a port call at Port Moresby. PNG PM James Marape visited the ships, calling for increased naval visits and deeper defence ties.
The visit included discussions on bilateral defence cooperation between Indian naval officers and PNG’s Deputy Chief of Defence Force, Commodore Philip Polewara. India has offered training opportunities for PNGDF personnel and has encouraged the country to utilise more slots under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program for defence training.
On the ongoing visit of INS Kadmatt, the Indian Navy statement said, it "remains steadfast in fulfilling its diplomatic role of building ‘Bridges of Friendship’, connecting nations through goodwill port calls, capacity-building initiatives and collaborative maritime efforts." Indian Navy ships have been traversing the wider Indo-Pacific region, which shows that it is a blue water Navy.
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