PM Modi holds bilateral meeting with Australian PM in Sydney

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart in Sydney, Australia. The meeting was also attended by India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. PM Modi was on Wednesday accorded a Ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia.

Prime Minister Modi also signed the visitors’ book at the Admiralty House in Sydney. Earlier on Tuesday, PM Modi in his key address to the Indian diaspora at a community event during his Sydney visit, highlighted “Mutual Trust and Mutual Respect” are the foundation of the close historical ties between India and Australia.

Noting that bilateral ties between India and Australia were earlier seen to be defined by 3Cs- Commonwealth, Cricket and Curry- and then by ‘Democracy, Diaspora and Dosti’ and later ‘Energy, Economy and Education’ emerged as a key component, Prime Minister Modi said that he believes the relationship is “beyond this” and “it is mutual trust and mutual respect.”

Addressing the community event in Sydney on the second day of his visit to Australia, PM Modi credited the Indian diaspora in Australia as being a force behind mutual respect and trust between the two countries.

“Earlier, it was said that India and Australia’s relation is defined by 3Cs- Commonwealth, Cricket and Curry. Then it was said that our relationship is defined by ‘Democracy, Diaspora and Dosti. Some people also said that our relationship depends on Energy, Economy and Education. But I believe that the relation between India-Australia is beyond this, it is mutual trust and mutual respect,” he said to a packed arena at Sydney Olympic Park.

PM Modi held meetings with business leaders of top Australian companies in Sydney on Tuesday, During the meetings, he called for enhancing cooperation with the Indian industry in areas such as technology, skilling, and clean energy.