Tonga
Tonga and India have traditionally enjoyed a close relationship. Late King Tupou IV and Queen paid state visits to India in 1971 and 1976. Several Tongans, including members of the Royal family have received training in India in defence and other courses under ITEC programme. In July 1972, the Late Prince Tu'ipelehake became the first Tongan to attend the Indian Military Academy in India.
Cooperation to tackle the challenge of COVID-19 Pandemic
- On 28 August 2020, Government of India approved funding US$ 1,08,844 for supporting response to COVID-19 pandemic which was utilized for setting -up a container based medical diagnostic laboratory (2023) in Nuku’alofa.
- Immediate relief assistance of US$ 200,000 announced to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the wake of a tsunami that hit Tonga on 15 January 2022. (A consignment of 272 packages of Disaster Relief Supplies was airlifted from India for the disaster affected people and reached Tonga on 23 May 2022).
Capacity Building & Other Exchanges
- Tonga has been provided training slots per year under ITEC programme, number for which are changing on utilization basis.
- 06 slots were utilized out of 10 offered in 2016-17, 01 slot was utilized out of 05 allotted slots in 2017-18, 02 slots were utilized out of 5 2018-19, 02 were utilized in 2019-20, 01 was utilized out of two in 2020-21 and 03 slots were utilized in 2021-22.
- Mr. J. Somasekharan, Indian ‘Coconut Development Expert’ was on deputation to the Government of Tonga for a period of seven months from March-October 2017.
- “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.
Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)
- Government of India provides annual grants for community development projects in Tonga.
- In 2007, GOI provided a grant-aid of US$ 100,000/- for construction of access road from Wharf to Hunga village.
- Grant-aid of US$ 100,000/- was approved in 2008 for up-gradation of jetty in Hunga.
- In July 2014, GOI had provided grant-aid of US$ 300,000 for Tsunami Alert System.
- In October 2014, US$ 115,000 was committed by GOI for Project Proposal “Upgrade to the Office of the Public Service Commission ICT Infrastructure”
- In September 2015, US$ 71,627/- was approved by GOI for project titled ‘Spectrum Monitoring Including Detection of Interference and Illegal Transmission’.
- In September 2017 Climate Early Warning Systems in Seven Pacific Countries (including Tonga) project was launched under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund. (Total funding: US $ 1 Million)
- In 2018, India provided US$ 1 million as assistance for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. After Tropical Cyclone Gita, US$ 500,000 was given as immediate cash assistance and the balance amount has been given through UNDP for renovation of export facility in Tonga.
- In June 2020, the project to improve resilience in the Pacific Island Countries (including Tonga) 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)
