Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, March 21, said that India-Australia ties will be strengthened with the establishment of a mechanism of an annual summit of the two nations.Greeting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison with a “namaskar” at the virtual summit, PM Modi led India in expressing sympathy over the loss of lives and property in the floods in Queensland and New South Wales.
PM Modi thanked the Australian leader for returning 29 Indian artefacts that were smuggled to Australia, where authorities recovered them. “I thank you for the initiative to return the Indian antiquities. Antiquities sent by you include hundreds of years old artifacts&photos that were illegally taken out of Rajasthan, WB, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh & other states. On behalf of all Indians, I thank you,” he said
Speaking on the bilateral ties between the two nations, PM Modi said: “In our last virtual summit, we had given our relationship the form of a comprehensive strategic partnership. I’m happy that today we’re establishing the mechanism of annual summit between the two nations.”
“This will prepare a structural system for regular review of our relations. In the past few years, our relations have seen remarkable growth. Trade & investment, defence & security, education & innovation, science & technology – in all these sectors we’ve very close cooperation,” he said.
Australian PM Scott Morrison highlighted the importance of regional cooperation in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, saying: “Our region is facing increasing change and much pressure and I think our Quad leaders call recently gave us the opportunity to discuss Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine.” “It also gave us the opportunity to discuss the implications and consequences of that terrible event for our own region in the Indo-Pacific and the coercion and the issues that we face here,” Morrison said.
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