Australian PM Albanese in India: Of trade, investments and cricket diplomacy

Besides, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart will discuss renewable energy, technology, defence and security cooperation.

Vipin Vijayan

First Published Mar 4, 2023, 1:46 PM IST | Last Updated Mar 4, 2023, 1:46 PM IST

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be arriving in India for the first time since taking over to hold discussions on a range of issues, including trade, investment, and defence, among others.

During his stay from March 8 –11 in the country, the Australian prime minister will visit to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi to further deepen the strategic, economic and people-to-people ties with India. He and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will attend the Australia-India Annual Leaders' Summit in the national capital. Albanese will be accompanied by Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell and Resources Minister Madeleine King.

From the IAF Vault: Evolution of the MiG-21 in the Indian Air Force

Besides, the prime ministers will discuss renewable energy, technology, defence and security cooperation. "The visit will also highlight our strong educational and cultural ties," the Australian High Commission in India said.

Farrell and King will also lead a delegation of senior Australian business leaders who will participate in the Australia-India CEO Forum in Mumbai to discuss discussing trade and investment opportunities opened up by the recent Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement and future areas of business-to-business collaboration with their Indian counterparts.

Both the prime ministers will also watch the Fourth Test Match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Albanese: "This will be my first visit to India as Prime Minister, and I look forward to reinforcing the strong bond between our two countries. "Our relationship with India is strong, but it can be stronger. It is underpinned by our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which underscores a joint commitment to working together to enhance our defence, economic, and technological interests."

"A stronger India-Australia partnership is good for the stability of our region. It also means more opportunities and more trade and investment, strengthening our economies and directly benefiting our people. As we look to the future, India will continue to be an important partner and close friend of Australia. I look forward to hosting Prime Minister Modi in Australia mid-year for the Quad Leaders' Summit and to visiting India again in September for the G20 Leaders’ Summit," he added.

Australian foreign minister Penny Wong who arrived in India on March 1 to attend the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Delhi, is here to join them. Last month, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar visited Australia, which was his third visit in the past year. Last year, he visited Melbourne to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and attended the 13th India-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue (FMFD) in October.

Indigenization drive in defence production sparks debate on quality vs domestic production