PM Narendra Modi meets his `good friend` Australian PM Scott Morrison, discusses issues of bilateral, regional and global importance

The Prime Ministers also agreed that as two vibrant democracies in the region, India and Australia need to work closely together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (September 23, 2021) met his 'good friend' Australian PM Scott Morrison and discussed issues of bilateral, regional and global importance. The meeting took place in Washington on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders' Summit and was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. 

This is to be noted that the last bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Morrison was the Leaders’ Virtual Summit held in June 2020.

Prime Minister Modi's Office informed that Modi and Morrison reviewed the progress achieved since the Leaders' Virtual Summit in June 2020 under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.

The two Prime Ministers also expressed satisfaction at the ongoing negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). 

"The Prime Ministers underlined the need for the international community to address the issue of Climate Change on an urgent basis. In this regard, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environmental protection. Both leaders also discussed possibilities of providing clean technologies," the PMO said in a statement.

Modi and Morrison also agreed that as two vibrant democracies in the region, India and Australia needed to work closely together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world, inter alia to enhance supply chain resilience.