India - Marshall Islands MoU on Development Projects

On July 15th, 2024, India signed an agreement with the Marshall Islands to provide an annual grant for four community development projects as part of India’s outreach to Pacific Island states.

Key Points

This decision was taken in the context of heightened activity by the four Quad members(India, Australia, Japan, and the United States) as they intensify their engagement with the Pacific Islands, in response to China's efforts to expand its influence in this region.
The MoU was signed at the Indian embassy in Tokyo by India’s ambassador to Japan, Sibi George, and Foreign Minister Kalani Kaneko of Marshall Islands.
The embassy in Tokyo is also responsible for overseeing relations with Marshall Islands.
The MoU will enable the implementation of a community sports centre in Ailuk Atoll, an airport terminal on Mejit Island, and community centres at Arno and Wotje Atolls.

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is located in the western Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and Australia, north of the equator and west of the International Date Line.
RMI is an archipelago of 29 atolls, five low coral islands and 1,151 islets that shares maritime borders with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Kiribati and Nauru.
RMI is an independent country in a Compact of Free Association (the Compact) with the United States.
RMI's constitution was adopted in 1979, with a Nitijela (Parliament) elected every four years by universal suffrage