Minister Pabitra Margherita to Attend Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga
Pabitra Margherita, the Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, will visit Tonga on August 28-29, 2024. He will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting with Dialogue Partners. This meeting is part of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum and related events.
The PIF is the main intergovernmental organization in the Pacific Region, consisting of 18 members, including Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand. India has been a Dialogue Partner of the Forum since 2002.
This visit follows the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2023. It will provide an opportunity for Indian leadership to engage with key decision-makers from all 14 FIPIC countries and other Dialogue Partners.
During his visit, Margherita will also have high-level bilateral meetings with Tongan leaders. The India-Tonga partnership is built on mutual respect, trust, and cooperation. This visit aims to further strengthen the bilateral relationship for progress and prosperity.
This will be the first-ever ministerial-level participation from India in the PIF Meetings. The visit is expected to deepen India’s close partnership with the PIF and the Pacific Island Countries, including Tonga.
India and Tonga have a long history of friendly relations. Late King Tupou IV and Queen visited India in 1971 and 1976, and late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Tonga in 1981. The interaction between the two countries has increased since the reopening of the High Commission of India in Suva in 1999. The then Tongan Prime Minister and Foreign Minister visited India in May 2002.
Doubts Revealed
Pabitra Margherita -: Pabitra Margherita is a person who works as a Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles in India. He helps manage India’s relationships with other countries and also looks after the textile industry.
Pacific Islands Forum -: The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is a group of countries in the Pacific Ocean that come together to discuss important issues and work together. It’s like a big meeting where leaders from these countries talk about how to help each other.
Tonga -: Tonga is a small country made up of many islands in the Pacific Ocean. It’s far away from India and has its own unique culture and traditions.
Dialogue Partners -: Dialogue Partners are countries that are not part of the Pacific Islands Forum but are invited to join the meetings to discuss and help with important issues. India is one of these Dialogue Partners.
Ministerial-level participation -: Ministerial-level participation means that a high-ranking official, like a minister, is attending the meeting. This is important because it shows that the country is taking the meeting very seriously.
Bilateral engagements -: Bilateral engagements are meetings between two countries to discuss and work on their relationship. In this case, it means India and Tonga will have special meetings to talk about how they can help each other.
