India–Pacific Islands relations

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International relations exist between the nation of India and the Pacific Island Nations.

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Relations between the nations are shaped by militaristic national security issues, as well as by environmental issues. In 2022, a diplomatic push by China to expand military bases and increase economic and political influence in the south pacific; was closely watched by India. This is in part because pacific island nations exist in a region with maritime borders that overlap sea lanes important for world trade. [1]

Overview

India has sought stronger ties and influence with Pacific Island Countries since at least 2014, after establishing the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation. It has participated in technological diplomatic efforts in those countries in the fields of natural disasters, solar power, electrification, among other areas. India has also opened a space research and satellite monitoring station in the Fiji islands. [2]

In May 2023 India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Papua New Guinea for the purpose of visiting leaders of Pacific Island countries as part of the . India first hosted a meeting of that forum in 2015. [3] In Port Moresby Modi met with leaders of Vanuatu at the Port Moresby summit. [4] The visit was partly motivated for reasons that India had concerns regarding potential naval bases, and Chinese control of ocean resources in the Pacific Island region. [5] Indian engagement with pacific island nations has been described as having 'enormous potential to transform local economies' by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. [6]

The pacific island nations have been a prominent topic in discussions of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue that India is a part of. [7]

Climate change diplomacy

Pacific island nations regularly advocates in international forums for the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from large economies such as the United States, China, and India. One particularly strong advocate is Vanuatu, motivated in part by the fact that Vanuatu is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world to the effects of climate change. [8] A call by Vanuatu's president Nikenike Vurobaravu to develop a 'fossil-fuel non-proliferation treaty' was criticised by Indian commentators as 'misplaced in intent and purpose'; claiming that it would deter Indian development. [9] [10] India's position is that coal should only be 'phased down' and not 'phased out'. [11]

In response to India's protesting the language of the resolutions at the Glasgow climate conference, the Alliance Of Small Island States attempted to make fossil fuel elimination a part of national climate plans at COP27. [10]

Opposition also emerged between India and pacific island nations during the Bonn conference. [12]

Nation-specific relations

Fiji

Relations between India and Fiji are strong, for a number of historical reasons. Some of these include the fact that 40% of people in Fiji are of ethnic Indian descent, known as Indo-Fijians. Mahendra Chaudhry became the country's first Indo-Fijian prime minister in 1999.

Vanuatu

As part of its diplomatic push for influence in the pacific island region, India provided cyclone relief to Vanuatu when tropical cyclone Hola hit the country in 2017. [13]

Vanuatu advocates in international forums for the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from large economies such as the United States, China, and India. This is motivated in part by the fact that Vanuatu is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world to the effects of climate change. [8] A call by Vanuatu's president Nikenike Vurobaravu to develop a 'fossil-fuel non-proliferation treaty' was criticised by Indian commentators as 'misplaced in intent and purpose'; claiming that it would deter Indian development. [9] [10] India's position is that coal should only be 'phased down' and not 'phased out'. [11] Vanuatu has been described as representative of a "a strong and vocal group of small island-developing states whose voice is heard with attention and empathy in the UN. More so, when it is a matter that will affect the global discourse on climate change" in Indian news publications such as The Hindu. [14]

Vanuatu has been described as representative of a "a strong and vocal group of small island-developing states whose voice is heard with attention and empathy in the UN. More so, when it is a matter that will affect the global discourse on climate change" in Indian news publications such as The Hindu. [14] In March 2023 Vanuatu proposed a climate justice resolution which was adopted by the UN General Assembly by consensus. [15] This resolution was co-sponsored by Australia, and was not supported by India. [16]

Some prominent people of Indian origin are citizens of Vanuatu due to the country's citizenship programs, including Atul and Rajesh Gupta. [17]

India and Vanuatu have opposing stances in international environmental matters other than climate change, including on the topic of deep-sea mining. Vanuatu has advocated for a pause on deep-sea mining until regulations are in place, [18] whereas India has participated in deep-sea exploration contracts. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanuatu</span> Country in Oceania

Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is an island country in Melanesia, located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is 1,750 km (1,090 mi) east of northern Australia, 540 km (340 mi) northeast of New Caledonia, east of New Guinea, southeast of Solomon Islands, and west of Fiji.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanesia</span> Subregion of Oceania

Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from New Guinea in the west to the Fiji Islands in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Islands Forum</span> Intergovernmental organisation of island nations in the Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is an inter-governmental organisation that aims to enhance cooperation among countries and territories of Oceania, including formation of a trade bloc and regional peacekeeping operations. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum (SPF), and changed its name in 1999 to "Pacific Islands Forum", so as to be more inclusive of the Forum's Oceania-spanning membership of both north and south Pacific island countries, including Australia.

From 1916 to 1975, Tuvalu was part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony of the United Kingdom. A referendum was held in 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As a consequence of the referendum, the separate British colonies of Kiribati and Tuvalu were formed. Tuvalu became fully independent as a sovereign state within the Commonwealth on 1 October 1978. On 5 September 2000, Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiji national football team</span> Mens association football team representing Fiji

The Fiji men's national football team is Fiji's national men's team and is controlled by the governing body of football in Fiji, the Fiji Football Association. The team plays most of their home games at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papua New Guinea national soccer team</span>

The Papua New Guinea national soccer team is the men's national soccer team of Papua New Guinea and is controlled by the Papua New Guinea Football Association. Its nickname is the Kapuls, which is Tok Pisin for Cuscus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asia–Pacific</span> Geopolitical region

The Asia–Pacific (APAC) is the region of the world adjoining the western Pacific Ocean. The region's precise boundaries vary depending on context, but countries and territories in Australasia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia are often included. In a wider context, Central Asia, North Asia, the Pacific Islands, South Asia, West Asia, and even Pacific-adjoining countries in the Americas can be included. For example, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) includes five economies in the New World. The term has become popular since the late 1980s in commerce, finance, and politics. Despite the heterogeneity of the regions' economies, most individual nations within the zone are emerging markets experiencing significant growth. Sometimes, the notion of "Asia–Pacific excluding Japan" (APEJ) is considered useful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of Rarotonga</span> Treaty against nuclear weapons in the South Pacific

The Treaty of Rarotonga is the common name for the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, which formalises a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the South Pacific. The treaty bans the use, testing, and possession of nuclear weapons within the borders of the zone.

<i>Barringtonia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Barringtonia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lecythidaceae first described as a genus with this name in 1775. It is native to Africa, southern Asia, Australia, and various islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The genus name commemorates Daines Barrington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sino-Pacific relations</span> Diplomatic competition between Mainland China and Taiwan in the Pacific

Oceania is, to the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China, a stage for continuous diplomatic competition. The PRC dictates that no state can have diplomatic relations with both the PRC and the ROC. As of 2024, eleven states in Oceania have diplomatic relations with the PRC, and three have diplomatic relations with the ROC. These numbers fluctuate as Pacific Island nations re-evaluate their foreign policies, and occasionally shift diplomatic recognition between Beijing and Taipei. The issue of which "Chinese" government to recognize has become a central theme in the elections of numerous Pacific island nations, and has led to several votes of no-confidence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Indo-Pacific</span> Biogeographic sea region

The Central Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean, the eastern Indian Ocean, and the connecting seas.

Cuban-Pacific relations are diplomatic, economic, cultural, and other relations between the Cuba and countries situated in Oceania. In the 2000s, Cuba has been strengthening its relations with Pacific nations, which have, for the most part, responded favorably to Cuban medical aid in particular. The first Cuba-Pacific Islands ministerial meeting was held in September 2008 in Havana, with government members from ten Pacific countries—Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia and Papua New Guinea—attending. The meeting was a consolidation rather than a starting point of Cuban-Pacific relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Oceania</span> Overview of and topical guide to Oceania

The following outline is provided as an overview and topical guide to Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation</span> Multinational diplomatic conference

Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) is a multinational grouping developed in 2014 for cooperation between the Republic of India and 14 Pacific Islands nations which include Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. All heads of state or heads of government of the above countries met in Suva, Fiji in November 2014 for the first time where the annual summit was conceptualised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Solar Alliance</span> Solar energy initiative launched in 2015

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an alliance of more than 120 signatory countries, most being sunshine countries, which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The primary objective of the alliance is to work for the efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This initiative was first proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech in November 2015 at Wembley Stadium in which he referred to sunshine countries as Suryaputra. The alliance is a treaty-based inter-governmental organization. Countries that do not fall within the Tropics can join the alliance and enjoy all benefits as other members, with the exception of voting rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Climate Warriors</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikenike Vurobaravu</span> President of Vanuatu since 2022

Nikenike Vurobaravu is a Vanuatuan diplomat and politician who has served as President of Vanuatu since 23 July 2022. Previously having been employed in numerous diplomatic and government positions, including as the first resident High Commissioner to Fiji, he was elected as president during the eighth round of the 2022 Vanuatuan presidential election in July 2022. He is a member of the Vanua'aku Pati (VP) political party.

Port Vila Call for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific is a forum intended to call for the phase-out of fossil fuels in line with the Paris Agreement’s limitation to warming being only 1.5 °C (34.7 °F) or below and the 'rapid and just transition' to renewable energy and strengthening environmental law, including introducing the criminalization of ecocide.

References

  1. ↑ Tatlow, Didi Kirsten (29 December 2022). "China outshines U.S. as global scramble for bases heats up". Newsweek. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  2. ↑ Balachandran, PK (26 May 2023). "India Eyes Land And Seabed Wealth Of Pacific Islands". thecitizen.in. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  3. ↑ Pasricha, Anjana (18 May 2023). "India's Modi to Visit Papua New Guinea in Outreach to Pacific Island Countries". VOA. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  4. ↑ "India's Modi to Visit Papua New Guinea in Outreach to Pacific Island Countries". VOA. 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  5. ↑ "India's Modi to Visit Papua New Guinea in Outreach to Pacific Island Countries". VOA. 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  6. ↑ Bergin, Anthony (2023-03-03). "Australia has had some Pacific wins, but there's no cause for complacency". The Strategist. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  7. ↑ "10 March 2023: The Week in Australian Foreign Affairs". Australian Institute of International Affairs. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  8. 1 2 Schonhardt, Sara (2022-08-23). "Tiny island nation lays out big plans for climate change". E&E News by POLITICO. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  9. 1 2 "Vanuatu Calls for Treaty to End Fossil Fuel Use". The Wire. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  10. 1 2 3 "Vanuatu's big plea does little to arrest climate change". The Hindu. 2022-11-03. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  11. 1 2 "Vanuatu Calls for Treaty to End Fossil Fuel Use". The Wire. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  12. ↑ Sadasivam, Naveena (2023-06-27). "How a small island nation is taking climate change to court". Grist. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  13. ↑ P.K.BALACHANDRAN (2023-05-26). "India Eyes Land And Seabed Wealth Of Pacific Islands". www.thecitizen.in. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  14. 1 2 "Vanuatu's big plea does little to arrest climate change". The Hindu. 2022-11-03. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  15. ↑ "As Vanuatu proposes climate justice resolution, globalisation of green technology, assertive activism is required". Firstpost. 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  16. ↑ Dziedzic, Stephen (2023-03-02). "Australia backs climate change obligations neither the US or China wants to go near". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  17. ↑ "Gupta Brothers Confirmed to Hold Vanuatu Citizenship". www.occrp.org. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  18. ↑ McVeigh, Karen; Michael, Chris (2023-07-08). "Future of deep-sea mining hangs in balance as opposition grows". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  19. ↑ McVeigh, Karen; Michael, Chris (2023-07-08). "Future of deep-sea mining hangs in balance as opposition grows". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-07-09.
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