PM Narendra Modi Begins Three-Day Australia Visit, Meets Australian CEOs

PM Modi arrived in Sydney as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea. He was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell and other officials upon his arrival.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Australia on Tuesday met the Executive Chairman of Fortescue Future Industries, an Australia-based Green energy and technology firm. John Andrew Henry Forrest AO, nicknamed Twiggy, is an Australian businessman. He is best known as the former CEO (and current non-executive chairman) of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and has other interests in the mining industry and in cattle stations. According to the Financial Review, Forrest was the richest person in Australia in 2008. The Prime Minister also met Paul Schroder, CEO of Australian Super, in Sydney. He was appointed Chief Executive of Australian Super on October 1, 2021, and is responsible for the leadership and strategic development of the fund as well as the provision of advice to the board.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea. PM Modi was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell and other officials upon his arrival in Sydney. During his visit, PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.

At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people links, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation, said the official statement released by the Australian government.

Members of the Indian diaspora also welcomed PM Modi as they chanted slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram". During the visit, the Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community," the statement added.

Meanwhile, Australian PM Albanese said he looks forward to visiting India in September in New Delhi for the G20 Leaders' Summit, the world's premier forum for economic cooperation.

Describing the relationship between India and Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the high degree of mutual trust between the two nations has naturally translated into greater cooperation over time, especially on defence and security matters.

In an exclusive interview with 'The Australian' newspaper, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he wants to elevate relations with Australia to the "next level," which would entail deeper defence ties to support the creation of an "open and free" Indo-Pacific.

"India believes that these challenges can be addressed only through shared efforts," he said, adding that he wanted India and Australia to press forward to realise the "true potential" of closer defence and security ties.