Australia fetes Modi with focus on ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific

Kathmandu: India’s prime minister Narendra was warmly welcomed by the India-Australian community in Sydney upon landing on Monday.

Modi was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell and other officials in Sydney.  Members of the Indian diaspora chanted ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ as they welcomed the prime minister. It was Modi’s first visit to Australia since his first year in office in 2014.

Prior to his Australia visit, Modi held discussions with Quad leaders on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima. Australia vowed to take ties with India to the ‘next level’ Tuesday as it hosted Narendra Modi for a lavish visit heavy on trade.

Australia and India have a great ‘strategic alignment’, deputy prime minister Richard Marles said, hailing the visit. ‘It really does afford the opportunity to take the relationship to the next level,’ he told the national broadcaster ABC, echoing Modi’s own words.

Similarly, Modi said in an exclusive interview with The Australian newspaper that he wants to take relations with Australia to the ‘next level’, implying deeper defence ties to support the creation of an ‘open and free’ Indo-Pacific.

‘As two democracies, India and Australia have shared interests in a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. There is alignment of our strategic viewpoint,’ Modi told the newspaper.

‘The high degree of mutual trust between us has naturally translated into greater cooperation on defense and security matters. Our navies are participating in joint naval exercises. I am confident that there is merit in working together to realise the true potential in closer defense and security cooperation,’ Modi added.

Albanese told Parliament that Australia will for the first time host the Malabar naval exercises involving India, the United States and Japan this year in another sign of a deepening commitment to the Quad.

‘India is a key strategic partner,’ Albanese told Parliament, ‘We are both part of a growing and dynamic region and Prime Minister Modi is a very welcome visitor to our shores.’

On Tuesday, Modi will hold a campaign-style rally at a 21,000-capacity Sydney arena, with prime minister Anthony Albanese making a guest appearance.