India-Australia virtual summit: Modi underlines ‘remarkable growth’ in relations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed delight over setting up a mechanism for the annual summit between India and Australia.

Speaking at an open session of the India-Australia virtual summit, PM Modi said that the mechanism will help prepare a structural system for regular review of our relations.

The prime minister underlined the “remarkable growth” in the relations between the two countries in the past few years.

“Trade and investment, defence and security, education and innovation, science and technology – in all these sectors we have very close cooperation,” he added.

Prime Minister also thanked his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, for the initiative to return the ancient Indian artefacts which he inspected ahead of the virtual summit.

As many as 29 antiquities, primarily sculptures and paintings executed in a variety of materials, have been repatriated to India.

The artefacts belong to six broad categories on the themes of ‘Shiva and his disciples’, ‘Worshipping Shakti’, ‘Lord Vishnu and his forms’, Jain tradition, portraits and decorative objects.

Morrison talked about the threat of increasing change in the Indo-Pacific region in the wake of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. In an apparent reference to China’s aggressive posture in the region, the Australian Prime Minister said.

The call by Quad leaders to discuss “Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine” also gave the opportunity to discuss the “implications and consequences of that terrible event for our own region” in the Indo-Pacific and the “coercion and the issues that we face here.”