Lagatar24 Desk
Sydney, May 24: The concerns of India regarding recent attacks on temples in Australia and actions of pro-Khalistani forces there were brought up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.
The two prime ministers made the decision to concentrate on finalising a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) that is anticipated to significantly increase bilateral trade ties during their extensive discussions today.
Modi stressed the importance of India-Australian collaboration in his media statement, saying it is essential for regional peace, stability, and global welfare.
“Prime Minister Albanese and I have in the past discussed the issue of attacks on temples in Australia and activities of separatist elements. We discussed the matter today as well,” Modi said. “It is not acceptable to us that anyone hurt the friendly and cordial ties between India and Australia by their actions or ideology,” he said.
Albanese’s actions against those responsible for such incidents were praised by Modi.
“Prime Minister Albanese assured me once again today that he will take strict actions against such elements in the future also,” Modi said.
Modi referred to the frequency of his meetings as a measure of the depth of the relationship between India and Australia. “This is our sixth meeting in the past one year. This reflects the depth of our comprehensive relations and the maturity of our ties. In the language of cricket, our ties have entered the T20 mode,” Modi said.
Modi said, the two parties had fruitful conversations about how to strategically collaborate in the areas of mining and critical minerals. The two parties agreed to concentrate on green hydrogen-related areas of collaboration.
Albanese declared that Australia would open a new consulate general in Bengaluru. Modi received a formal guard of honour at Sydney’s Admiralty House prior to the talks.
