Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) Pabitra Margherita on Wednesday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue at Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane, Australia.
“Honoured to pay a floral tribute at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Roma Street Parklands, Brisbane, Australia today. Remembering the Father of the Nation and his timeless message of peace and non-violence,” Margherita wrote in a post on X.
The minister also planted a sapling as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative, calling it a “fitting tribute” to the prime minister on his 75th birthday.
“Under Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji’s initiative #EkPedMaaKeNaam, planted a sapling this afternoon at Roma Street Parklands, Brisbane, Australia. A fitting tribute on the birthday of our beloved Prime Minister inspiring us to nurture Mother Earth as we honour our mothers,” Margherita posted on X.
The visit to Brisbane came after Margherita concluded his official trip to Papua New Guinea, where he represented Prime Minister Narendra Modi at commemorative events marking the country’s 50th anniversary of Independence.
During his stay in Port Moresby, Margherita met Micronesia President Wesley Simina on Tuesday on the sidelines of the celebrations. “Pleasure to meet Hon’ble Wesley Simina, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, in Port Moresby on the sidelines of PNGAt50,” Simina shared on X.
Margherita also met visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Papua New Guinea. Posting a picture with him on X, the minister wrote, “Glad to meet Hon’ble Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, in Port Moresby on the sidelines of the commemorative events marking PNGAt50.”
He further called on Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and conveyed the warm greetings of the Government of India on the country’s golden jubilee of independence.
Both leaders held talks on bilateral relations and explored ways to deepen cooperation between India and Papua New Guinea.
As part of the 50th anniversary commemorations, Indian Naval Ship INS Kadmatt participated in events including a fleet review held from August 30 to September 8.
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On the occasion, President Droupadi Murmu sent a congratulatory letter to Papua New Guinea’s Governor-General Sir Bob Bofeng Dadae, extending warm greetings on behalf of the Government and people of India, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Margherita also conveyed greetings from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to his Papua New Guinea counterpart Justin Tkatchenko. He attended the Flag Raising Ceremony at Independence Hill and joined other events marking the anniversary.
The MEA noted that Margherita also held brief pull-aside interactions with Wesley Simina, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, and Manoa Kamikamica, the Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, on the sidelines of the commemorations.
The minister further engaged with the Indian diaspora at a community event hosted at the High Commission of India in Port Moresby, reaffirming New Delhi’s commitment to the welfare of overseas Indians. He also interacted with members of Papua New Guinea’s business community, including leading textile entrepreneurs.
“Following the historic 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in May 2023 in Port Moresby, the visit of MoS (PM) to Papua New Guinea provided an opportunity to continue our engagement with the leadership in the Pacific Island Countries (PICs),” the MEA said in a statement.
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