India

Fiji to negotiate Air Service Agreement with India

Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum revealed over the weekend that a team from India will be in Fiji in January 2016 to carry out talks over the ASA.

“Hopefully they’ll be down here in the middle of January. We need to finalize that because India is now the second largest outbound market in the world and in the next five to ten years will be the largest outbound market. So, Fiji having a direct flight to Singapore means we need to level of connectivity with India vis-à-vis Singapore.”

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Cooks keen to co-operate with India over seabed resources

He was involved in discussions about financial support from India during India's gathering of Pacific island countries in Jaipur last month.

India's talks with Pacific states resulted in various offers of help in areas from solar power to space technology as well as expanded trade and scholarships.

Some observers feel the Indian government of Narendra Modi is primarily keen to curry support for the country's bid for a permanent seat on the UN security council.

India launches world's first solar-powered airport

The world's first ever fully solar-powered airport has been launched in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

The Indian government has already directed other airports around the country to start incorporating solar energy into their daily operations.

Al Jazeera's Divya Gopalan reports from Kochi.

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Tuvalu looking at buying NZ and Aust land for displaced

Tuvalu and Kiribati both say upcoming climate talks in Paris are vital as rising sea levels threaten their existence.

Fourteen Pacific Island nations have been meeting in Jaipur in India to discuss rising sea levels.

Enele Sopoaga says failure is not an option.

He says the nation may be able to purchase land in other places, such as New Zealand and Australia if necessary.

However he says that won't stop climate change and its impact on Tuvalu, whose nine coral atolls are home to about 11,000 people.

 

India pledges support for space technology in Pacific

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi says space assets and technology can help in many areas including fisheries, forestry, coastal and ocean studies, climate change and disaster management.

He was speaking at the end of a summit between his country and 14 Pacific island countries in the Indian city of Jaipur.

Mr Modi hailed Fiji's support for its Mars mission in 2014 when Fiji hosted Indian scientists who were tracking the mission.

The Indian leader says India can help establish a Space Technology Applications Centre in any one of the countries in the region.

Samoa asks India for medical training aid

Tuilaepa had been attending the Indian summit

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said his country would help the region with human resource development.

Talamua Online reports Tuilaepa also asked for India's doctors and medical instructors to periodically work and take sabbaticals in Samoa to support its capacity building efforts.

The Samoa leader also spoke of the challenge the Pacific faces from climate change.

Eye on UNSC seat, India woos Pacific islands with investments

Hosting the first regional summit of the NDA government, India was stitching a positive relationship with the Pacific Islands even as the India-Pakistan NSA talks were coming apart. Anil Wadhwa, Secretary East in MEA, told journalists there was widespread support by the Pacific Islands for India's candidature in the UNSC.

India eyes support from Pacific Island nations

This will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jaipur.

On Thursday, addressing the heads of the Pacific Island nations who are in New Delhi for the summit, President Pranab Mukherjee said: “UNSC reform and expansion will be discussed and concrete proposals are expected to be considered in the forthcoming UNGA session next month. An inter-governmental negotiating text is already on the table, for which India needs their support.”  

India offers Pacific help on climate

Leaders and delegates from 14 island nations are in Jaipur for the second Summit of the Forum for India- Pacific Islands Cooperation.

India's Economic Times quotes the country's External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, saying India stands ready to share its expertise and technology with the island nations to help them adapt to and to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The paper says India will push for greater cooperation with the island countries in sectors like oil and natural gas, mining, IT, healthcare, fishing and marine research.

City being decked up to host meet of Pacific island nations

The international conference will be held on August 21.

The local administration and civic bodies have been pressed in to make the city beautiful while general administration department is overseeing the arrangements for the delegates.

The Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) has intensified efforts for the beautification of the city. Hotels where delegates will stay and visit have been earmarked and 10 teams have been deployed for cleaning and landscaping works in the city. Apart from that, officials from the electricity cell too are taking stock of the situation.