Prime Minister Narendra Modi left Papua New Guinea on November 19, 2018, after completing a three-day visit to the nation—his first official visit to the Pacific island nation. During the visit, PM Modi highlighted the “Malabar exercise”, a joint naval exercise between India, the US, Japan and Australia, as well as called for the opening of an Indian cultural centre at the University of Papua New Guinea. He also signed a number of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between India and Papua New Guinea in various sectors such as defence and energy.
PM Modi’s next stop is Australia, where he will attend the G20 Summit in Brisbane from November 15-17. He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders at the summit. During his Australian visit, he is also expected to address the Indian diaspora living there. He is also expected to attend the East Asia Summit in Singapore during his regional trip.