Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to Perth later this year as part of an upcoming visit to Australia. The visit is seen as an opportunity to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two nations.
Albanese Welcomes Modi's Visit
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the upcoming visit during a parliamentary session on Tuesday, describing it as a chance to build on a relationship founded on "friendship, respect and mutual benefit."
"I'll have the privilege of hosting Prime Minister Modi here soon," Mr Albanese said. "Like last time, Prime Minister Modi's visit will be made extraordinary by so many of the million-strong Indian Australian community."
The Prime Minister labelled India as "one of Australia's great international relationships" and acknowledged the shared "international language of cricket" that unites both countries.
Multi-Nation Tour
Mr Modi's trip is understood to be part of a multi-nation tour, with Indonesia and New Zealand also on the itinerary. In addition to Perth, the Indian leader is expected to visit Melbourne and Sydney during his Australian engagements.
This will mark Mr Modi's second visit to Australia, following a tour in May 2023. During that visit, he was supported by 20,000 people at a rally in Olympic Park arena, where Mr Albanese also addressed the crowd.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong's Meeting in New Delhi
The announcement comes after Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with her Indian counterpart in New Delhi on Tuesday, alongside Quad partners the United States and Japan. Senator Wong emphasised the importance of the relationship and announced several collaborative initiatives in the region.
She stated that the group had agreed to enhance maritime security, collaborate on securing regional energy supplies, continue work on critical minerals, and partner on Pacific port infrastructure programs.
"We recognise our obligation or responsibilities to provide viable choices, particularly as the strategic circumstances in our region are deteriorating," Senator Wong said.
"The region is facing acute economic stress. We know the world is more unpredictable. We know volatility is increasing, and we know of the consequences for our region of the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz and what that means for our energy security."
She added, "We recognise the importance of maintaining the principle of Freedom of Navigation and our opposition to any tolling proposition."
Quad Partners Focus on Fiji Port Infrastructure
Senator Wong and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Quad partners had agreed on specific plans to work directly with Fiji to advance and improve that country's port infrastructure.
"We are also today announcing the strongest ever commitment by the Quad to the Ports of the Future partnership, where we are launching a pilot for port infrastructure in Fiji," Senator Wong said.
Mr Rubio also highlighted shared work on connecting the individual maritime surveillance capabilities of each Quad nation to enhance their shared information.
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