Modi-Morrison meet: Focus on enhancing closer ties between India, Australia

Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison will hold
the second India-Australia bilateral virtual summit on Monday. The summit
follows the first virtual summit in June 2020 when the relationship was
elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by both countries. In the
upcoming meeting, both Modi and Morrison will take stock of progress made on
various initiatives under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, reported ANI.

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The leaders are
also expected to enhance closer ties between India and Australia in trade,
critical minerals, migration and mobility, and education, among others, the
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press statement.

Modi and Morrison could also share their views on regional and international issues of mutual
interest.

The
India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has helped both countries
in collaborating closely in wide-ranging areas including science and
technology, defence, cyber, critical and strategic materials, water resource
management, as well as public administration and governance.

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The two leaders
met in Washington DC for the first in-person meeting after the COVID-19
pandemic in September 2021 on the margins of the Quad Leaders’ Summit and
jointly launched the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) in
Glasgow on the margins of the COP26 in November 2021.

On Friday,
Morrison had said that the strong bilateral relationship between the two
countries is based on a shared vision of an open, inclusive, and resilient
Indo-Pacific.

In an official
statement, he said, “Australia and India’s strong bilateral relationship
is based on mutual understanding and trust, a commitment to democracy, and a
shared vision of an open, inclusive, resilient and prosperous
Indo-Pacific.”

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“Prime
Minister Modi and I will discuss deepening our trade and investment
relationship and harnessing new economic opportunities to support our mutual
economic recovery and growth. Central to these endeavours are strengthened
cooperation in defence and security, science and technology, and critical
minerals and clean energy,” he added.

Furthermore, the
Australian PM said both sides will also discuss a range of regional and
multilateral issues, including the situation in Ukraine and its implications
for the Indo-Pacific, and Myanmar.