The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday that he will travel to India in March of the next year to finalise the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) and strengthen bilateral ties. The Australian Prime Minister made this declaration on the sidelines of the 17th G20 summit.  

In a statement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi where the leaders will discuss a wide range of topics. Further, PM Albanese highlighted that the stronger economic cooperation agreement between Australia and India, which they consider as being extremely essential for enhancing the economic ties between the nation, will also be discussed during the meeting.   

Australian PM will visit India

“I will visit India in March. We’ll take a business delegation to India,” PM Albanese stated during the G20 summit. He even claimed that it will be a significant visit and a development in the two countries’ relationship. He further emphasised that PM Modi will also travel to Australia for the Quad Leaders’ summit in 2023.  

Continuing it, the Australian PM said, “And then I will return to India later in the year for the G20 Summit. We also spoke about the details of the Quad Leaders’ meeting that will take place next year.”  

In the meantime, Piyush Goyal, the Indian minister of commerce, and HE Don Farrell, the minister of trade and tourism for Australia, met virtually on November 1. Goyal stated at the conference that it was best for both nations if the India-Australia ECTA was implemented quickly, ANI reported. During the meeting, both delegations evaluated and appreciated the advancement achieved in the ratification of the IndAus ECTA, which was inked on April 22, 2022. 

Furthermore, in the month of October, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar asserted that Australia is a significant ally for India when it comes to maintaining security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. By cooperating, the two countries can guarantee the region’s continued freedom, openness, stability, and prosperity. In his talk to the Indian community, Jaishankar, who was on a two-day visit to Australia, mentioned spending time with the Australian military. 

According to Jaishankar, “The big change in our relationship is the fact that today we both are members of the Quad mechanism and are working together in many ways to ensure that this region remains free, open, stable and prosperous”. While talking about India-Australia ties, he further added that something which is currently a significant aspect of the relationship is perception, the significance of each country to the other, and the two countries’ joint capacity to contribute to the advancement of the area. 

(Image: AP)