PM Modi will reach Papua New Guinea today, where he will be greeted by Prime Minister James Marape at the airport. Normally, Papua New Guinea does not give a ceremonial welcome to any leader who arrives after sunset, however, a special exception has been made for PM Modi.
The PM's visit to Papua New Guinea is aimed to expand India's outreach to Pacific Island nations. The Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit, which will be held in Port Moresby tomorrow, will be attended by leaders from 14 countries. This is a rare opportunity for these leaders to come together and discuss issues of common interest.
PM Modi has used his foreign visits as a vehicle to promote Indian culture. In Japan, the PM unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Hiroshima. In Papua New Guinea, he will release the Thirukkural, a classic Tamil language text in local lanaguage Tok Pisin.
The Harris Park area in Sydney's Parramatta suburb will be officially designated as "Little India" during PM Modi's visit to Australia.