In Tonga, India reaffirms multifaceted engagement with Pacific island countries [Video]

India will undertake one ‘Quick Impact Project’ or QIP of each country’s choice worth USD 50,000 in each of the 14 Pacific island countries, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita announced at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Dialogue Partners’ Session in Tonga on Thursday.

Reaffirming India’s strong commitment to work closely with Pacific partner countries and the PIF as the foremost regional mechanism, Margherita highlighted that the bilateral development partnership in the form of grant-in-aid projects worth about USD 3 million per annum is demand-driven and has had a high impact on the 14 Pacific partner countries.

The Indian government’s approach to the Blue Pacific Continent, he said in his statement at the forum, is based on the country’s ancient philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, or the ‘World is one Family’.

“India’s multifaceted engagement with the Blue Pacific Continent is anchored in our Act East Policy and is strengthened both bilaterally and through different mechanisms such …