DAKSHIN

Papua New Guinea

Diplomatic relations between India and Independent State of Papua New Guinea (PNG) were established when the latter got independence from Australia in 1975. Indian resident Mission was opened in Port Moresby in 1996. PNG opened its resident Mission in New Delhi in 2006. India & PNG are Commonwealth countries and enjoy warm and cordial relations. They share commonality of views on most global issues. The two countries have been working closely in international fora.

India extended assistance for K 1,78,707 (US$ 50,666) to National Cultural Commission, PNG under Grant in Aid for procurement of IT equipment

High Commissioner Inbasekar S. met Mr. Benjamin Samuel, Vice Principal, Kokopo Primary school donated 4 sets of NCERT school textbooks

Indian High Commissioner Vijai Kumar handed over a cheque for US $1 million to Papua New Guinea Government towards earthquake relief

Government of India provided Rs. 3,36,78,965 to M/s Mysore Paints & Varnish Ltd, Mysuru, for supply of 20971 bottles of 80 ml each of Indelible Ink to PNG under Grants-in-Aid for Papua New Guinea General Elections

solar electrification in Papua New Guine

solar electrification in Papua New Guinea

Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme celebration in Papua New Guinea

Mr. R Nath, First Secretary handing over disaster relief material to PNG Oil Palm Minister Mr Francis Meneke on 22 December 2023

Cooperation to tackle the challenge of COVID-19 Pandemic

Ambulances and support for COVID-19 response worth US$ 1 million has been extended through India-UNDP Fund in 2022.
132,000 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccines were donated to PNG from Serum Institute of India under COVAX facility on 7 April 2021.
India provided 132,000 doses of made in India Covid-19 vaccine to Papua New Guinea under Covax scheme. Medical aid package of ₹23,75,310 sent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Capacity Building & Other Exchanges

“Sagar Amrut Scholarships” scheme for the PIC countries was announced during FIPIC-III summit held in May 2023. Under the scheme India is offering a total of 200 fully funded scholarship slots each year to participants from PIC countries.
India has also been assisting PNG in their capacity-building efforts by way of training under ITEC and Colombo Plan. Aid proposals in various other fields submitted by the Government of PNG, under the annual grant-in-aid, are under implementation by the Indian side. Over 300 PNG nationals have been trained in India under ITEC so far.
The Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Excellence in IT has been established with Indian assistance through Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC). Further assistance of US$ 556, 635 was extended for strengthening the Centre in 2018-19 through India-UNDP Fund. The Centre was run by two IT Experts from India who were stationed at the Centre for two years till Nov 2021. A proposal for extension of CEIT for 2 years has been approved and an expert is being identified by MeITy.

Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)

On 06 Dec 2023, India announced US$ 1 million immediate relief assistance to Papua New Guinea in wake of the Mt. Ulawun volcanic eruption in West New Britain province. On Dec 22, Relief materials & medical aid (17 tons) landed at Port Moresby from India.
Under Grants in Aid (GIA) program, GoI supplied a USD 50,000/- worth computers/IT equipment (25 computers, 4 printers, 1 server) for National Culture Commission (NCC) of Papua New Guinea. On Nov 3, 2022 at Crown Hotel, Port Moresby HC handed over a dummy cheque to Minister of Tourism, Sports & Culture Isi Henry Leonard. For PNG’s National General Elections 2022, 20971 bottles of 80 ml each of Indelible Ink worth Rs 3,36,78,965/- was handed over by HC to Simon Sinai, PNG Electoral Commissioner on 21 May 2022.
India assisted with supply of indelible ink for use in national General Elections held in July 2022.
In June 2020, the project to improve resilience in the Pacific Island Countries (including PNG) was signed between United Nations Resident Coordinator and Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) to be largely funded by India. Under the scheme Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems will be installed on buildings of national significance. (Total funding: US $ 1 Million).
Financial assistance of US$ 1 million for relief and restoration work in the areas affected by Ulawun volcano eruption of June 2019.
In 2018, Govt of India announced to extend a grant of USD 1 million to PNG towards earthquake relief in areas that were affected by the earthquake that struck PNG in February 2018.
India has been providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief to Papua New Guinea (PNG) from time to time. A consignment of 7.2 million dosages of anti-retro viral drugs from India, for US $3 million, was handed over to Govt of PNG in November 2016. Computers and peripherals worth USD 760,000 out of cumulative grant-in-aid under India's Regional Assistance to Pacific Island Countries were provided to the Govt of PNG during the year 2017-18. Aid proposals in various other fields submitted by the Govt of PNG, under the annual grant-in-aid, are under implementation by the Indian side.
India has been providing HADR to PNG from time to time. A consignment of 7.2 million dosages of anti-retro viral drugs received from India for US $3 million, which was handed over to the Govt of PNG in November 2016 by the Indian High Commissioner.
Grant-in-aid assistance to Port Moresby General Hospital with 4 Ultrasound Machines at an estimated cost of US$ 1,29,566 is under process.
India assists PICs in their socio-economic development through community-oriented projects by providing annual grant-in-aid to the tune of USD 200,000 to each of the PICs with annual roll-over facility.