MoS Pabitra Margherita meets Samoa PM, discusses strengthening of bilateral ties

Apia [Samoa], October 16 (ANI): Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita met Samoa's Prime Minister, La'auli Leuatea Schmidt, in Apia on Friday and discussed further strengthening India-Samoa relations and advancing shared priorities, including development partnership and capacity building.
"Honoured to meet the Prime Minister of Samoa, Hon. La'auli Leuatea Schmidt, in Apia today. Had a warm and productive exchange on further strengthening India-Samoa relations and advancing our shared priorities, including development partnership, capacity building and cooperation," MoS Margherita posted on X.
"India values its close and enduring partnership with Samoa," he added.
Earlier, the Samoan Prime Minister, along with his Cabinet, welcomed the MoS with a traditional 'ava ceremony'.
"Honoured to be welcomed by the Prime Minister of Samoa and his Cabinet through a traditional 'ava ceremony', reflecting Samoa's cherished values of respect, unity, friendship and hospitality. India deeply values this warm gesture and our enduring friendship with Samoa," Margherita said in another post.
Margherita arrived in Apia on Thursday to commence the first leg of his three-nation visit covering Pacific Island countries.
"Arrived in the beautiful city of Apia for my visit to Samoa. Looking forward to productive discussions and high-level engagements as we deepen our cooperation and advance our shared development priorities," MoS Margherita had posted on X upon his arrival.
The Minister is undertaking an official visit to Samoa, the Cook Islands and Nauru from October 16 to 22.
During his visit, Margherita is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with senior leaders across the three Pacific Island nations and interact with key stakeholders and members of the Indian community. Furthermore, he will inspect India-supported development projects in the region, as detailed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday.
"The visit underscores India's commitment to strengthening its partnership with Pacific Island countries under the framework of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), and to further deepening political engagement and development cooperation with the region. It builds on the momentum of the 3rd FIPIC Summit held in Port Moresby in May 2023," the MEA mentioned in the statement. (ANI)