PM Modi meets Australia's Opposition leader, discusses bilateral ties

Melbourne, Jul 10 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Australia, met the country's Leader of Opposition Angus Taylor on Friday and discussed bilateral ties, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. "They held productive discussions on the growing India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The warm and cordial meeting reflected the strong bipartisan support in Australia for deepening ties with India," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X. The prime minister landed in Australia on July 8 after completing his visit to Indonesia. From here, he is scheduled to leave for New Zealand — the last leg of his six-day, three-nation tour. During his three-day visit to Australia, the two countries sealed a raft of landmark pacts spanning civil nuclear energy, maritime security and critical minerals sectors. PM Modi held summit talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, and both leaders reinforced the vital role of the bilateral partnership in ensuring a peaceful Indo-Pacific. A major highlight of the summit talks between the two leaders was their focus on significantly ramping up defence ties, especially in the maritime domain. An agreement on civil nuclear energy to facilitate the commercial supply of uranium from Australia to India to fuel New Delhi's nuclear power projects was sealed after over two years of negotiations. In another significant decision, India and Australia decided to work expeditiously to firm up the proposed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement as well as a bilateral investment protection framework to further enhance the trade and investment relations. A joint declaration on defence and security cooperation, a maritime security collaboration roadmap, a joint statement on energy security, and a partnership for cyber, critical technologies and supply chains were among 18 pacts signed following summit talks between the two prime ministers. PM Modi also pitched for early finalisation of the proposed India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) as it will further accelerate bilateral trade and investment ties. The prime minister also addressed an Indian diaspora event, 'Melbourne meets Modi', also attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. PTI AMJ AMJ