India, Australia leaders to hold virtual summit on March 21
Darpan News Desk IANS, 17 Mar, 2022 11:27 AM
New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison will participate in the second India-Australia virtual summit on March 21, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India and Australia virtual summit will be held on March 21 where Indian and Australian leaders will hold the summit.
"This summit follows the historic first virtual summit which was held on June 4, 2020 when our bilateral relationship was elevated to comprehensive strategic partnership," Bagchi said.
He also said that during this forthcoming virtual summit the leaders will take stock of progress made on various initiates under the comprehensive strategic partnership.
The virtual summit will lay forward the new initiatives and enhanced cooperation in a diverse range of sectors.
"The leaders are expected to commit to closer cooperation in trade, critical minerals, migration and mobility and education among others. "Views on regional and international issues will also be discussed," said the officer.
India, Australia comprehensive strategic partnership has maintained the momentum of upward trajectory.
Both countries continue to collaborate closely despite the Covid-19 pandemic in areas such as science and technology, cyber defence, critical and strategic minerals, public administration and governance.
Modi met Morrison in Washington for their first in person meeting after the Covid-19. This meeting was held last September on the margin of Quad leaders summit 2021.
In June 2020, India and Australia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support.
The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) allows militaries of the two countries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, besides facilitating scaling up of overall defence cooperation.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who reached Ayodhya for the fifth 'Deepotsav' (festival of lights) event, while inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of various projects worth Rs 661 crore, credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the construction of a grand Ram temple and also launched an attack on the opposition parties.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday warned that if the farmers' demands are not met till November 26, they would pitch tents the following day across all borders of Delhi and reinvigorate their agitation.
In a bonanza to the people of Punjab ahead of Diwali, the Punjab Cabinet on Monday decided to reduce the power tariff to domestic sector consumers having connected load up to 7 KW by Rs 3 per unit.
The Congress is offering 40 per cent reservation in tickets to women in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, because the party knows that it would not come to power in the politically crucial state anyway, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said here on Monday.
The Congress is closely watching former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's moves and the leaders who have close ties with him. The state unit has been tasked to placate such leaders or arrange a meeting with the high command.
Authorities are worried that the rise of Taliban in Afghanistan may have had a role in the emergence of India as the newest hub not just for consumption but also for trafficking of a variety of drugs.
