Prime Minister Modi receives warm welcome in Australia

Sydney/Port Moresby – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Australia. Cooperation between India and Australia becomes crucial for the Indo-Pacific region’s stability, security and prosperity. Both countries bond to this. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed Prime Minister Modi, claiming that the friendship and partnership between India and Australia have been stronger than ever before. Prime Minister Modi has said he was eager to advance India’s cooperation with Australia.

The annual summit of the Quad countries, initially organised in Australia, was held in Japan due to the cancellation of the US President’s visit to Australia. After visiting Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Australia on Monday and received a warm welcome. The Indian community in Australia was present in large numbers at the airport to welcome Prime Minister Modi.

Prime Minister Albanese also recalled his reception during his visit to India two months ago. The Prime Minister of Australia visited India in March for the annual meeting between the two countries. At that time, PM Albanese believed the bilateral discussions would go further during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Australia. There will be bilateral talks between PM Modi and PM Albanese on May 24, and at this time, strengthening cooperation between the two countries at various levels will be emphasised. India and Australia signed a Comprehensive Economic Agreement (CECA). At this time, further strengthening of trade partnerships will be discussed under this. Also, the Australian government informed that there would be extensive discussions to strengthen cooperation in the energy, defence and security sectors.

While Australia’s trade and strategic cooperation with India grows stronger, trade between Australia and China seems to be declining. Political differences have geared China to teach Australia a lesson; thus, China appears to have turned its back on Australian products. This has given strategic importance to Australia’s trade cooperation with India. There have been talks that India was a more credible alternative to China for Australia.

Before he visited Australia, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in Papua New Guinea. Both agreed to broaden India-New Zealand’s trade, finance, education, and technology cooperation during the visit.

Prime Minister Modi participated in the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) meeting in Papua New Guinea. In this meeting held with 14 island countries in the Pacific, Prime Minister Modi assured that India would become a partner in their development. This time Prime Minister Modi indirectly targeted China. ‘A Friend in need is a friend indeed’, said the PM. Also, he reprimanded that sometimes the one we consider trustworthy does not stand up in times of need. Prime Minister Modi clarified that China was not a trustworthy country without mentioning China directly.

Prime Minister Modi assured that India respects the priority of countries in the Pacific and that India will stand with them in their challenging times.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia is considered part of strategic cooperation against China. The G7 countries had extended a special invitation to Prime Minister Modi for the meeting in Japan, regarded as a part of strengthening the anti-China front.

Also, the base China has raised in the Solomon Islands near the Pacific island countries has been a concern for Australia, Japan and US. Therefore, India’s growing cooperation with these countries becomes more important.

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