Invoking cricket connect, PM Modi hails 'Test match' depth with Australia
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Invoking cricket connect, PM Modi hails 'Test match' depth with Australia")
PM Modi hails 'Test match' depth with Australia Photograph: (X/Narendra Modi)
"Cricket is the diplomatic language of India-Australia relations," PM Modi said. "Our meetings also feel like cricket matches: Agenda, focused like a One-Day match, decisions as fast as T20, and our partnership, as long and deep as a Test match."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has concluded high-level talks with Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in Melbourne, hailing a "new chapter" in bilateral relations and announcing major advances in trade, clean energy and defence cooperation.
Speaking at the third India-Australia Annual Summit, PM Modi thanked Albanese for the "magnificent welcome" extended to him and his delegation. "His personal efforts and commitment have taken India-Australia relations to new heights and given them greater depth," he said.
The leaders signed several agreements that underscore the growing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, which Indian leaders described as "vibrant democracies, multicultural societies, and important ocean powers" bound by "deep mutual trust". A slew of announcements were made in the area of defence, energy, and critical minerals.
In a characteristically colourful flourish, given the summit’s location in the "sporting capital of the world", the Indian leader invoked cricket. "Cricket is the diplomatic language of India-Australia relations," he said. "Our meetings also feel like cricket matches: Agenda, focused like a One-Day match, decisions as fast as T20, and our partnership, as long and deep as a Test match."
On the economic front, PM Modi announced accelerated work on a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) to build on the 2022 Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement. "We have now decided to work swiftly on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), which will be balanced, ambitious, and win-win for both countries," he stated. Negotiations on a Bilateral Investment Treaty will also be fast-tracked.
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In another significant announcement , Australia will supply uranium to India. "This will open the path for uranium supply from Australia to India and give new strength to our clean energy objectives," PM Modi said.
They also launched the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies, and Supply Chains, dubbed AI-PACTS, and agreed to collaborate on a Critical Minerals Corridor, vital for strategic security and the green transition.
Defence and security ties were bolstered with a new Joint Declaration. PM Modi highlighted the India-Australia Defence Innovation Corridor to link startups and industries, alongside a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap. "The Indo-Pacific is not just a confluence of two oceans. It is also a symbol of the shared aspirations of like-minded democracies," he noted.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism. "Terrorism is not a challenge for any one country, but a serious threat to all of humanity," the Indian PM declared, pledging unwavering cooperation. He noted the contributions of the Indian diaspora and the popularity of Australian universities among Indian students.
