Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a three-day visit to Australia, met the country’s Leader of the Opposition, Angus Taylor, on Friday. The two discussed the growing India-Australia relationship, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the meeting focused on the expanding India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He noted that the warm and cordial exchange reflected strong bipartisan support in Australia for deeper ties with India.
PM Modi also shared details of the meeting on social media. He said the conversation touched on the growing strength of India-Australia relations and the opportunities that lie ahead. He added that he deeply valued the broad, cross-party support the partnership enjoys across Australia.
The Prime Minister landed in Australia on July 8, after completing the first leg of his tour in Indonesia. From Australia, he is scheduled to travel to New Zealand, the final stop on his six-day, three-nation visit.
During his three days in Australia, India and Australia sealed a series of landmark agreements spanning civil nuclear energy, maritime security and critical minerals. PM Modi held summit-level talks with Australian PM Anthony Albanese, where both leaders reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral partnership in maintaining a peaceful Indo-Pacific region.
A key highlight of the summit was the renewed push to strengthen defence cooperation, particularly in the maritime domain.
The two countries also finalised a civil nuclear energy agreement enabling commercial uranium supply from Australia to India, following more than two years of negotiations. This is expected to support India’s nuclear power expansion plans.
Modi and Albanese also called on all parties to exercise restraint and work toward de-escalating tensions in the Gulf region.
In another significant step, India and Australia agreed to fast-track the proposed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), along with a bilateral investment protection framework, to further strengthen trade and investment ties. PM Modi called for the early finalisation of the CECA, saying it would help accelerate bilateral trade and investment.
In total, 18 agreements were signed following the summit talks. These included a joint declaration on defence and security cooperation, a maritime security collaboration roadmap, a joint statement on energy security, and a new partnership on cyber, critical technologies and supply chains.
The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian diaspora event titled “Melbourne Meets Modi,” which was also attended by PM Albanese.
Jitendra Kumar is a graduate of the acclaimed IIMC with extensive experience across leading newspapers and media organisations.
