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."

He further added that political stability has allowed for continuity in decision-making and policy implementation.

Highlighting the strides India has made in the last ten years, Jaishankar noted, "Today's India is building 28 kilometres of highway daily, 12-14 kilometres of railway track every day, and has expanded metro cities from 6 to 21, with 39 more planned. The country had 75 airports a decade ago; today, it has nearly 150, with over 1,000 planes on order from the global aviation industry."

He also praised the advancements in education and initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat scheme, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, Digital India, and others supporting entrepreneurship.

Jaishankar's visit to Brisbane marks the beginning of a two-nation tour, covering Australia until November 7, where he will co-chair the 15th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue (FMFD) with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

He will also deliver the keynote address at the 2nd Raisina Down Under conference at the Australian Parliament House and engage with Australian leaders, parliamentarians, business representatives, media, and think tank members.

After Australia, Jaishankar will visit Singapore on November 8 to participate in the 8th ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks Roundtable and meet Singaporean leaders to discuss ways to further strengthen the close partnership.