On the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be participating in two summits — The India-Caribbean (CARICOM) Island Summit and the India-Pacific Island Summit. The primary focus will be on climate change, blue economy and how India can partner in their development needs.

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This is the first India-Caribbean Island Summit that will take place and to facilitate it, India's envoy to United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin, met with his counterpart envoys from Caribbean countries. Over 20 countries make up the Caribbean community, of which 15 are full members and five are associate members. Full members include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

India has increased its political engagement with Caribbean island countries where the link usually has been cricket and several Indian-origin people whose ancestors were taken there by the British during the colonial time. Earlier this month, New Delhi announced $ 1 million humanitarian assistance to The Bahamas which was devasted by Hurricane Dorian.

Meanwhile, PM Modi will also participate in the third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) or India Pacific Island countries summit. The first summit took place in 2014 when PM Modi visited Fiji, while the second one was held in Jaipur in 2015.

Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are part of the 14 countries that form the group. India provides $200,000 per year to these Pacific Island states. 

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