Relationship between Australia and India 'never been stronger', says Albanese after speaking with PM Modi

Canberra, May 6 (IANS) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said that the relationship between Australia and India has never been stronger and said that he is looking forward to working with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the coming years to build a prosperous future for the region.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi had dialled Albanese, congratulating him on his party's landslide victory in Saturday's General Election.

"Thank you for the call Prime Minister Narendra Modi and for your warm congratulations. The relationship between Australia and India has never been stronger. I look forward to working with you over the coming years to build a prosperous future for our region," Albanese said in a post on X.

During the telephone conversation, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Albanese on his historic re-election as the 32nd Prime Minister of Australia.

"Spoke with my friend Anthony Albanese to personally congratulate him on his party’s historic victory. We agreed to work together with renewed vigour to advance the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and explore new areas of cooperation," PM Modi posted on X after the phone call.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between the two countries. They noted that in its five years, the CSP has seen robust cooperation developing across a diverse range of sectors. They stressed on the role played by the vibrant Indian origin diaspora in cementing bilateral ties.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global matters of mutual interest and reiterated their commitment to working together in promoting a free, open, stable, rules-based and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

"Prime Minister invited PM Albanese to visit India including for the Annual Summit and the QUAD Summit to be hosted in India later in the year. The leaders agreed to remain in touch," the MEA stated.

PM Modi had also congratulated Albanese on Saturday immediately after Labor's resounding win which saw the party bagging a haul of 92 lower house seats, only the third time in the history of the country that a party has won more than 90 seats.

"Congratulations Anthony Albanese on your resounding victory and re-election as Prime Minister of Australia! This emphatic mandate indicates the enduring faith of the Australian people in your leadership. I look forward to working together to further deepen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and advance our shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," PM Modi wrote on X.

Albanese, who also spoke with US President Donald Trump with talks focusing majorly on the issue of tariffs, announced Monday that his first overseas trip in his second term as Prime Minister would be to Indonesia.

Prime Minister Modi and his Australian counterpart had met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Rio de Janeiro last November during which they also held the second Australia-India Annual Summit ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025.

Both Prime Ministers noted the significant progress made in strengthening bilateral ties across a range of important sectors – including climate change and renewable energy, trade and investment, defence and security, education and research, skills, mobility, science and technology, regional and multilateral cooperation, community and cultural links, and people-to-people ties.

Reaffirming their commitment to deepen cooperation, they had also reflected on the shared interests in the region, noting with satisfaction that closer bilateral engagement has benefited both nations and the broader region.

Both leaders have emphasised that ‘Make in India’ and ‘Future Made in Australia’ have complementarity and collaborative potential and could help create new jobs, unlock economic growth and secure our future prosperity in a changing world.

India and Australia are also members of the Quad grouping along with the United States and Japan.

--IANS

as/