New Delhi: Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape hailed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi as the voice of the Global South and said that all the island nations will rally behind India at international forums. He was speaking at the third India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit co-chaired by PM Modi.
Speaking about the economic problems faced by the island nations on account of geopolitical tensions, most recently, the Russia-Ukraine war, Marape said that they are 'victims of global powerplay'. He spoke about the inflationary pressure on his country because of the war. Pacific Islands nations have to face the brunt of the war as they have to incur high costs of fuel and power tariffs.
"These nations sitting before you have high costs of fuel and power tariffs in their own countries and we suffer as a result of big nations at play in terms of geopolitics and the power struggles out there," Marape said urging him to be an active voice for the small island nations at global forums such as G20 and G7. "You are the voice that can offer our issues at the highest as advanced economies discuss matters relating to economy, commerce, trade and geopolitics," he added asking Prime Minister Modi to be an advocate for them.
Speaking about the advantages in terms of geopolitics that these island nations command, Marape said, "Whilst our land may be small and the number may be small, our area and space in the Pacific are big. The world uses our space for trade, commerce and movement."
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Marape also highlighted the shared history of India and Papua New Guinea. He said that people from the Indian subcontinent have been travelling to these island nations for thousands of years. Referring to the colonial past that India had to suffer from, Marape said that colonial history holds the nations of the Global South together.
The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister thanked PM Modi for assuring him that as India hosts the G20 Summit this year it will advocate on issues that relate to the Global South. Stressing being left behind from the rest of the world Marape said that while the world makes us of its resources, its own people are kept aloof from sharing its fruits. "In the Global South, while our resources are being harvested by others in tones and volumes, our people have been left behind," he said.
Meanwhile, PM Modi highlighted India's assistance to Pacific Island nations during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also talked about disruption in the supply chain and said that countries of the global south have been impacted by the pandemic. He also called for UN reforms at the Pacific meet. PM Modi assured that India will put aspirations of the global south to the world via its G20 Presidency this year.
