'A true friend of our nation': Australia's LoP Angus Taylor hails PM Modi as they discuss bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Australia's Opposition Leader Angus Taylor during his ongoing three-day tour of the country. Both leaders sat down to discuss ways to further strengthen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Officials noted that the meeting reflected bipartisan consensus in the Australian political landscape over the need to expand cooperation with India across key sectors. It also reflects the growing depth of the bilateral ties between the two countries.

Sharing details and visuals from the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Mr Angus Taylor MP, Leader of the Opposition of Australia. They held productive discussions on the growing India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership."

Bipartisan support for India

Jaiswal went on to emphasise the significance of the interaction and said: "The warm and cordial meeting reflected the strong bipartisan support in Australia for deepening ties with India." It is pertinent to note that the meeting with Taylor comes amid PM Modi's trip to Australia.

More from World

The visit is part of the three-nation tour, which included Indonesia and New Zealand. In Australia, the prime minister has been engaging with political leaders, business executives and the Indian diaspora to further strengthen bilateral ties.

He also held bilateral talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, met Governor-General Sam Mostyn and Victoria Governor Margaret Gardner AC, and attended the Australia-India CEO Forum. The prime minister also participated in an Indian community reception in Melbourne, and met former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

During his trip, PM Modi is also set to visit the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where he will be joined by the Australian Prime Minister to unveil a roadmap for sports cooperation between the two countries.

While addressing a press briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said: "Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Albanese will visit the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground to highlight one of the other subjects, a growing sector of cooperation between the two countries, which is sports, and they will take this opportunity to unveil the India-Australia sports collaboration roadmap."

He noted that sports has emerged as a promising area of bilateral cooperation, particularly with India set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and Australia preparing to host the Olympic Games in 2032. "…This sector (sports) promises to be one that can see a lot of cooperation and opportunities between the two sides," the Indian diplomat added.

With inputs from agencies.