Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday welcomed the leaders and delegates attending the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit to Jaipur and said that Pacific island countries have set an example of partnership in the current century.
"We welcome you in this historic city of Jaipur , pink city is known for its famous palaces... It's a city (Jaipur) of heroism and valor, of art and heritage and above all strong tradition of hospitality," Prime Minister Modi said in his address at the FIPIC Summit here.
"This is first regional summit that I'm hosting in India, this is the one which will always remain very special for me... This is also special because India and Pacific island countries are setting an example of partnership for this century. It is a partnership forged by shared aspirations and challenges," he added.
FIPIC summit is being held in a bid to expand its economic and strategic footprints in the region amid China's increasing presence.
The Ministers and delegates of 14 Pacific island nations, which include Fiji, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, Solomon Islands and Tonga, are going to be present here.
It is the second Summit of the FIPIC being organized in less than a year. The first summit was held in Fiji on 19 November 2014.