NEW DELHI: US President Joe Biden will visit Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the Pacific on May 22, on his way to Australia for the Quad summit. His visit will coincide with PM Narendra Modi’s first visit to PNG on May 21-22.
Modi is also visiting the Pacific island nation on his way to Australia for the Quad meet. Both leaders will travel to PNG from Japan where they will participate in the G7 summit next month. Biden will be the first sitting US president to visit PNG when he lands in Port Moresby for a brief visit on May 22. The US is also likely to sign a security pact with PNG.
Both Biden and Modi’s visit to the Pacific country, located north of Australia, comes at a time when China is making rapid inroads into the region. Modi is visiting PNG for the third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation summit. “This is a historical event. We have never had the PM of one of the leading economies to come to PNG before. It shows the commitment India wants to play in the region,” PNG foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko said earlier.
The summit brings together India and 14 countries located in the region.
Modi is also visiting the Pacific island nation on his way to Australia for the Quad meet. Both leaders will travel to PNG from Japan where they will participate in the G7 summit next month. Biden will be the first sitting US president to visit PNG when he lands in Port Moresby for a brief visit on May 22. The US is also likely to sign a security pact with PNG.
Both Biden and Modi’s visit to the Pacific country, located north of Australia, comes at a time when China is making rapid inroads into the region. Modi is visiting PNG for the third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation summit. “This is a historical event. We have never had the PM of one of the leading economies to come to PNG before. It shows the commitment India wants to play in the region,” PNG foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko said earlier.
The summit brings together India and 14 countries located in the region.