• Friday, March 29, 2024

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Australia PM Albanese in India on March 8, to watch India-Australia Test with Modi

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi interacts with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at the state funeral of the former Japan prime minister Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. (ANI Photo)

By: Shubham Ghosh

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese is set to pay a four-day visit to India starting Wednesday (8) to build a stronger partnership between the two countries. He is also set to witness a cricket Test match between India and Australia with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat.

It will also be the first visit by an Australian prime minister to India since 2017.

“Our relationship with India is strong but it can be stronger,” Albanese, who assumed the top post in May last year, said on Saturday (4).

In a statement, the office of the Australian prime minister said Albanese will also join Modi to watch the fourth and final cricket Test match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

It said his visit to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi will further deepen Australia’s strategic, economic and people to people ties with India, a “close friend and partner” to Canberra.

Albanese will join Modi for the Australia-India Annual Leaders’ summit in New Delhi, it added.

“A stronger India-Australia partnership is good for the stability of our region. It also means more opportunities and more trade and investment, strengthening our economies and directly benefiting our people,” Albanese said.

Australian sources said Albanese and Modi will discuss cooperation in areas of trade and investment, renewable energy, technology and defence and security.

“As we look to the future, India will continue to be an important partner and close friend to Australia,” Albanese said.

“I look forward to hosting Prime Minister Modi in Australia mid-year for the Quad Leaders’ Summit and to visiting India again in September for the G20 Leaders’ Summit,” he said.

Announcing Albanese’s visit, India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) said the Australian prime minister will be accompanied by his minister for trade and tourism Don Farrell and minister for resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King.

The MEA said Albanese will arrive in Ahmedabad on March 8 on the day of the Holi festival and will visit Mumbai the next day (9) before arriving in Delhi later in the day. The Australian prime minister will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 10, it said.

Following this, Modi and Albanese will hold the annual summit to discuss areas of cooperation under the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, besides regional and global issues of mutual interest.

(With PTI inputs)

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