PM Modi met Australian PM Scott Morrison ahead of Quad meeting
- In Reports
- 01:33 PM, Sep 24, 2021
- Myind Staff
Ahead of the first in-person Quad meeting, on September 23, PM Modi has met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison where they discussed a broad range of issues related to bilateral, regional and global importance. They also reviewed the situation rising in Indo-Pacific.
This meeting was held a week after they held a telephonic conversation and discussed the rapid progress in the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and exchanged views on regional developments and the forthcoming Quad meeting.
“They reviewed progress since the last leader's summit that was held virtually in June 2020, and they resolved to continue their close partnership and cooperation for the mutual well-being of both sides,” said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla as quoted by The Hindu.
According to a statement by Ministry of External Affairs, the last bilateral meeting was held on June 4, 2020 when the Leaders’ Virtual Summit was organised. On that day, the Strategic Partnership between India and Australia was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Prime Ministers “resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region,” the MEA said.
Recently, several world powers including India, the U.S. and Australia have been talking about the solution of ensuring free, open and thriving trade in the Indo-Pacific region and rising issue of China’s military manoeuvring in that region.
China already claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea. Although other surrounding countries like Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of the same South China Sea. However, by using its technological advancements and power, Beijing has built controversial and unethical artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.
“A wide-ranging and productive discussion ahead of the first in-person Quad meeting as we look to further deepen the partnership between our two countries,” Mr. Morrison said.
Prime Minister Modi in a tweet said, "It is always wonderful to interact with my good friend, PM @ScottMorrisonMP. We had wide-ranging deliberations on strengthening cooperation in the fields of commerce, trade, energy and more."
According to the MEA statement, in their meeting, Mr. Modi and Mr. Morrison reviewed the ongoing negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). PM Modi also welcomed the visit to India by former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott as Morrison’s Special Trade Envoy for India, and noted the commitment of both sides to achieve an early harvest announcement on an interim agreement by December 2021.
According to the statement, PM Modi highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environment protection and also said that both the leaders also discussed possibilities of providing clean technologies.
Image source: Zee news
Comments