Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin W. Tkatchenko on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings in Manila, Philippines, on 23 July 2026, reaffirming India's commitment to partnering with Pacific Island Countries on development, capacity building, and maritime security.

Posting on X, Dr. Jaishankar described it as a 'pleasure to meet' FM Tkatchenko, noting that the two sides 'spoke about bilateral cooperation including through the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC).' He added that 'India stands ready to partner with the Pacific Island Countries for their development and capacity building priorities, while supporting their maritime security.'

Context

The meeting took place in Manila where Dr. Jaishankar is attending ASEAN-related engagements, using the multilateral platform to hold a series of bilateral pull-asides with counterparts from across the Indo-Pacific. Papua New Guinea is among the most significant Pacific Island nations in terms of size and strategic location, making it a key interlocutor under the FIPIC framework.

FM Justin W. Tkatchenko represents Papua New Guinea, a country that has deepened engagement with India over recent years, particularly on infrastructure, health, and maritime domain awareness.

Policy Backdrop

The Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Fiji in November 2014, bringing together India and 14 Pacific Island Countries under a structured cooperation architecture. India hosted the first FIPIC Summit in Jaipur in August 2015, followed by a leaders-level meeting in 2019.

FIPIC has served as India's primary diplomatic vehicle for engaging small island states in the Pacific, covering areas such as renewable energy, digital connectivity, climate resilience, and capacity building for government officials. Maritime security has grown as an increasingly prominent pillar, reflecting shared concerns over illegal fishing, exclusive economic zone monitoring, and broader Indo-Pacific stability.

India's outreach to Pacific Island nations is consistent with its wider Indo-Pacific strategy, which emphasises partnerships with smaller states as a counterweight to growing great-power competition in the region.

Stakeholders and Impact

Papua New Guinea and the broader group of Pacific Island Countries stand to benefit from India's offers of technical assistance, capacity-building programmes, and maritime surveillance support. For island nations whose vast exclusive economic zones are difficult to monitor independently, India's naval and Coast Guard cooperation carries practical value.

The meeting also signals continued Indian diplomatic momentum in the Pacific, a region where multiple major powers are competing for influence through infrastructure investment and security partnerships. India's FIPIC-anchored approach positions it as a development partner that does not attach political conditionalities.

What's Next

The Manila meeting is likely to feed into the agenda for the next FIPIC summit, where concrete project commitments on maritime security and capacity building are expected to be formalised. Bilateral follow-up between New Delhi and Port Moresby on specific cooperation projects could follow in the months ahead.

With India's Indo-Pacific engagement accelerating, the FIPIC framework may see expanded programming, particularly on maritime domain awareness and digital public infrastructure — areas where India has sought to offer alternatives to other large-economy partners active in the Pacific.