EAM Jaishankar credits PM Modi’s leadership for deepening India-Australia ties

Brisbane, Nov 3 (IANS)

During his address to the Indian community in Brisbane, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar outlined four key factors behind the deepening India-Australia relationship, stressing the transformation in bilateral ties under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

"There are four reasons – PM Modi, Australia, the world, and all of you," Jaishankar remarked as he acknowledged the warm reception from the Indian diaspora.

Jaishankar stressed the significance of his visit not only for inaugurating India's fourth consulate in Brisbane but to fulfilling PM Modi's commitment to the Indian community.

"Your presence, effort, and contribution have made this consulate possible. I have come to redeem Prime Minister Modi's promise, made in public, that he would open a consulate in Brisbane," he said.

Reflecting on the 125,000 Indians residing in Queensland, including 15,000–16,000 students, Jaishankar highlighted the state's economic importance to India, noting that "75 per cent of Australia's exports to India actually come from this state."

This cooperation, he said, should be viewed not merely as an achievement but as a framework for future growth. "There's no doubt that the QUAD ranks right up there, and Australia is a founding partner of that mechanism in terms of our bilateral ties," he added.

The EAM described India's designation of Australia as a "comprehensive strategic partner" as significant in diplomatic terms, underscoring that such a term is reserved for only a few countries. "The more adjectives you add, the weightier it gets," he said.

Jaishankar also praised the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) for the positive impact it has had on trade and emphasised the importance of mobility, migration, and mutual recognition agreements, specifically mentioning the MATES agreement.

Regarding India's aspirations, the EAM stated, "India will grow, India is growing, but India wants to grow with the world. When we look at the world, we see opportunities. We are optimistic there may be problems, but overall, we think the world has goodwill. The world has a desire to work with India. We see a sentiment overall in the world for India to succeed, and it's important we harness that sentiment."

This sentiment, he explained, aligns with the Government of India's transformative policies, which have spurred progress across sectors over the last decade.

Reflecting on these changes, Jaishankar said, "In the last 10 years, we have made significant progress through efforts that feed into each other, making it easier to do business, improving ease of living, radically improving infrastructure with the Gati Shakti program, establishing digital public infrastructure, and improving governance quality overall."