Guwahati: India has appointed Muanpuii Saiawi, its current High Commissioner to New Zealand, as the country’s next High Commissioner to the Republic of Vanuatu, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on September 2.
A 2005-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Saiawi will be concurrently accredited to Vanuatu while continuing to reside in Wellington. She is expected to take up the new responsibility shortly.
The appointment comes as New Delhi seeks to strengthen its engagement with Pacific island countries. India and Vanuatu have expanded cooperation across several areas, including healthcare, education, infrastructure, digital development and climate resilience.
Bilateral engagement has also grown through the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), under which India has sought to enhance its role as a development partner for small island developing states dealing with challenges such as climate change, healthcare access and institutional capacity.
Earlier this year, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita visited Vanuatu and toured the India-supported Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CeIT). During the visit, he announced additional hardware and software assistance aimed at strengthening digital capabilities and skills in the island nation.
India also extended support for 10 patients from Vanuatu to receive specialised medical treatment in India under the ‘Heal in India’ initiative.
During his visit, Margherita held discussions with Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat, with talks focusing on strengthening economic ties and improving cooperation on climate resilience.
Despite the geographical distance between the two countries, India and Vanuatu have continued to broaden their partnership around common priorities, including democracy, multiculturalism and climate action, while also cooperating through multilateral platforms.