Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reaffirmed his support for capacity-building efforts in Pacific island nations, as he interacted with alumni of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme from 14 countries across the region.
Modi was here on his maiden visit to Papua New Guinea to host a key summit between India and 14 Pacific island countries to boost bilateral ties. He interacted with ITEC alumni on the sidelines of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit.
"Underlining the role of capacity building in India-PIC partnership. PM @narendramodi interacted with alumni of @ITECnetwork from across Pacific Island Countries (PIC)," the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted.
The alumni included senior government officials, leading professionals and community leaders who have received training in India under ITEC. They are contributing to their societies using the skills gained in India, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
Prime Minister Modi complimented the alumni for their personal success and achievements. He highlighted the important role played by India's capacity-building initiative in helping the countries meet their developmental goals, especially in the areas like good governance, climate change, digital public goods and sustainable development, the statement said.
He reiterated India's support for such capacity-building efforts, it said.
Following the last FIPIC Summit in 2015, India has trained close to 1,000 officials from all countries in this region. India has also sent experts on long-term deputations to agencies in these countries to assist them in agriculture and related areas.
India's ITEC network programme, instituted in 1964, offers thousands of fully funded scholarships in various capacity-building training to countries across the world.
Pacific Island nations include the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
