EAM Jaishankar felicitates Solomon Islands on 48th Independence anniversary
New Delhi, July 7
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday extended greetings to the government and people of the Solomon Islands on the country's 48th Independence anniversary.
The post also shared an image which mentioned that in February 2025, a dialysis machine was gifted by India to the National Referral Hospital in the Solomon Islands.
In a post on X, Jaishankar also conveyed his felicitations to his counterpart, Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Ricky Nelson Houenipwela.
The EAM said, "Felicitations to FM Ricky Nelson Houenipwela, the Government and people of the Solomon Islands on the 48th anniversary of their Independence."
The attached image with the post said, "A dialysis machine was gifted by India to the National Referral Hospital in the Solomon Islands (Feb 2025)."
Earlier in January, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that meaningful exchanges at the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), which concluded in New Delhi on January 16, would strengthen the bonds within the Commonwealth family and pave the way for excellence in governance.
On the sidelines, in his meeting with the Speaker of the Solomon Islands, Patteson John Oti, Birla discussed ways to boost people-to-people ties.
"Warm interaction with Mr Patteson John Oti, Speaker of the National Parliament of the Solomon Islands, at a bilateral at #CSPOC2026. India has always stood by the Solomon Islands during catastrophes and difficult times. We reaffirmed our commitment to this enduring friendship and discussed the MoU on Visa Exemption to ease our people-to-people connect. As an experienced administrator, Speaker Oti's focus on parliamentary innovation is commendable. I have invited their MPs and staff to leverage our PRIDE institute for specialised training in legislative best practices," he said.
As per the MEA, diplomatic relations between India and Solomon Islands(SIs) were established in May 1987. SIs established its Honorary Consulate in New Delhi in 2003.
On 16 March 2023, SIs team arrived in New Delhi to start ground works for establishing its resident Mission in New Delhi. SI's relations with India are friendly, though low-key. Bilateral political interaction is comprehensive in multilateral/ international fora. Mission in Port Moresby is concurrently accredited to SIs.
India's relationship with Pacific Island Countries(PIC) has deepened with the evolution of the Act East Policy, resulting in the setting up of an action-oriented Forum for India-Pacific Island Cooperation (FIPIC). During FIPIC Summits, PM Narendra Modi articulated India's desire to be a close partner of PICs and its readiness to work closely to advance their developmental agenda.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone from the West, I find it inspiring how India builds relationships with small Pacific nations without expecting anything in return. The visa exemption MoU is a smart move - makes travel easier for both sides.
Independence celebrations are always special. The dialysis machine gift shows India understands healthcare needs of Pacific nations. Hope we continue this humanitarian diplomacy along with trade partnerships. 🙏
Impressive how India maintains friendly diplomatic relations with Solomon Islands for decades. The PRIDE institute training for their MPs is a smart way to share parliamentary best practices. Win-win for both nations.
While the gestures are nice, I hope India also focuses on bigger infrastructure projects in the Pacific. A dialysis machine is good, but we need to match China's scale of investment to truly counter their influence in the region.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.