India to host 2nd Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)

India will host second edition meeting of Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) on 21 August 2015 in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
The meeting will be attended by the heads of 14 island nations from Indo-Pacific oceanic region.
It is seen as India’s first step towards greater engagement with the region, which is important from geostrategic and economic standpoint. It could also help counter the growing Chinese influence in this oceanic region.
The FIPIC meeting will pave the way for agreements in various potential areas between India and these nations. It will include sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, food processing, solar energy, e-networks for coordination in tele-education and tele-medicine. It will also include space cooperation and climate change.
Earlier in November 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Fiji had proposed to hold FIPIC summits regularly to increase ties among the participating nations.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2015