Indian Navy warship visits Port Moresby

Visakhapatnam: Reaffirming the growing friendship and maritime partnership between India and Papua New Guinea, the Indian Navy’s indigenous ASW Corvette INS Kadmatt arrived at Port Moresby to participate in Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence Day celebrations.

The goodwill visit symbolises India’s commitment towards strengthening its engagement with Pacific Island nations under the Act East Policy and promoting peace, stability, and inclusive growth in the Indo-Pacific region.

The key highlights of the visit include participation of INS Kadmatt in PNG’s official Independence Day Parade and cultural events, honouring the shared democratic values and heritage of both nations. The ship’s crew will engage with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGFD) to explore avenues for cooperation in maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

The ship that arrived at Port Moresby on August 30 will host the PNG Chief of Defence Forces onboard to showcase the Indian Navy’s journey of ‘Aatma Nirbharta’ in the defence landscape.

The visit also follows the momentum created by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to Papua New Guinea in 2023, where both the nations committed to deepening bilateral relations, expanding development partnerships and enhancing defence cooperation.

The Indian Navy remains steadfast in fulfilling its diplomatic role of building ‘bridges of friendship’, connecting nations through goodwill port calls, capacity-building initiatives and collaborative maritime efforts.