Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi pledged larger protection ties Friday after a diplomatic tour the place the leaders bonded over their nations’ shared love of cricket.
Australia and India, with Japan and the United States, make up the Quad alliance that’s seen as a bulwark in opposition to China’s assertiveness within the Indo-Pacific area.
Albanese’s four-day go to included a Thursday reception aboard the INS Vikrant, India’s first do-it-yourself plane service, the place he introduced new joint army drills.
“Security cooperation is an important pillar in the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Australia,” Modi mentioned Friday at a joint press briefing after a non-public assembly.
Albanese mentioned “significant” and “ambitious” progress had been made in protection ties with India.
“We discussed the increasingly uncertain global security environment and committed to strengthening the Australia-India defense and security partnership,” Albanese mentioned.
Friday’s assembly got here a day after the leaders watched the opening morning of the fourth cricket Test collectively in Modi’s house state of Gujarat.
Both males carried out a lap of honor aboard a cricket-themed golf cart in the beginning of the match, the place Australia are preventing to keep away from a collection loss and India want a win to safe a World Test Championship berth.
“We are competing on the cricket field to be the world’s best, but together we are building a better world,” Albanese advised reporters.
Albanese flies out of New Delhi on Saturday morning and can host Modi in Australia for the subsequent Quad leaders assembly in May.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
