PM Modi departs for historic New Zealand visit after Australia summit

PM Modi departs for a historic visit to New Zealand after concluding the India-Australia Summit. In Melbourne, he held talks with PM Albanese, securing deals on defence and nuclear cooperation, including uranium exports for peaceful purposes.

PM Modi Embarks on Historic New Zealand Visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has departed for Auckland, New Zealand, from Melbourne after the third India-Australia Annual Summit, on the final leg of his three-nation visit. PM Modi is visiting New Zealand from 10-11 July at the invitation of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Notably, this will be the first state visit of an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in four decades. In Auckland, PM Modi will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Luxon and review the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship, which has seen significant progress in the last two years, especially in the areas of trade and commerce and defence.

While in Auckland, the Prime Minister will also interact with prominent business and sports personalities. In a reflection of the strong people-to-people ties that exist between India and New Zealand, he will address a large gathering of the Indian Diaspora during the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Recap of Australian Leg

Earlier, as part of his visit to Australia, PM Modi held several key discussions with political leaders, businessmen, and other officials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (local time) held delegation-level and bilateral talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, while participating in the third Australia-India Annual Leaders' Summit, in Government House, Melbourne.

He also held a bilateral meeting with the Governor of Victoria, Margaret Gardner AC, the Governor-General of Australia, Sam Mostyn and Angus Taylor, Leader of the Opposition of Australia, among other leaders. PM Modi also addressed the business leaders at the India-Australia CEO Forum and Economic Roadmap Business Reception in Melbourne, attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. PM Modi also addressed the Indian diaspora during a community event in Melbourne.

Key Outcomes of India-Australia Summit

The third Australia-India Annual Leaders' Summit concluded on Thursday, marking a significant milestone in the two nations' six-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The meeting, hosted in Melbourne, resulted in a landmark suite of agreements focused on reinforcing the Indo-Pacific's security architecture, securing critical mineral supply chains, and accelerating the transition to clean energy.

Deepened Defence and Security Ties

According to the joint statement released by the PMO Australia, central to the summit was the release of a new Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation, which effectively replaces the 2009 security pact and deepens military integration.

"Australia values India as a top-tier security partner, and the Declaration reflects our shared commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," Prime Minister Albanese stated. "We will boost strategic coordination, increase the complexity of our defence exercises and further build interoperability between our defence forces."

Prime Minister Modi underscored the practical implications of this shift, noting the creation of an India-Australia Defence Innovation Corridor.

Breakthrough on Nuclear Cooperation

Another major breakthrough of the summit was the finalisation of the administrative arrangements required to implement the 2015 Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. This milestone paves the way for the export of Australian uranium to India, exclusively for peaceful, IAEA-safeguarded civil nuclear energy programs. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)