Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met Narendra Modi in Sydney on Wednesday to discuss regional security and economic ties, as well as to sign a migration agreement to increase Indian student and business travel to Australia.
According to Indian officials, the leaders discussed how Russia’s conflict with Ukraine affects developing countries, specifically food and fuel security.
Modi has visited Australia twice since 2014, two months after Albanese visited India.
Modi was scheduled to join Japan and the United States at a Quad Leaders meeting in Sydney. Because US President Joe Biden had to return to Washington, the meeting took place at the Group of Seven summit in Tokyo.
“Quad leaders stand together for an open, stable, secure, and prosperous Indo Pacific region where all countries, large and small, benefit from a regional balance that keeps the peace,” Albanese told reporters after meeting with Modi bilaterally.
Albanese stated that he and Modi discussed trade, migration, and renewable energy, and that a hydrogen task force was formed to collaborate on clean energy.
Australia, which primarily trades with China, wishes to diversify its export markets, including those with India.
India is Australia’s sixth largest trading partner, with 750,000 Australians of Indian ancestry.
Modi stated that they would work toward a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement, as well as expand mining and critical mineral cooperation.
“We talked about taking the Australia-India comprehensive strategic partnership to greater heights in the next decade,” he told reporters. Later, Indian officials stated that trade talks would resume in June and July.
A migration agreement, according to Modi, “will further strengthen our living bridge” with Australia’s second-largest and fastest-growing Indian diaspora.
Thousands of overseas Indians rallied in Sydney’s largest sports arena on Tuesday to support Modi. continue reading
Modi traveled to Australia following a meeting with 14 Pacific island leaders in Papua New Guinea.
According to Vinay Kwatra, India’s foreign secretary, Modi and Albanese discussed synergies with Australia’s Pacific island development programs. According to Kwatra, India’s Pacific island agenda focuses on economic and health partnerships.
