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25-05-2023
Bureau Report + Agencies
SYDNEY/ NEW DELHI: Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, have pledged to take relations between their countries to “greater heights”, signing new agreements on migration and green hydrogen, as Canberra seeks to boost trade and diplomatic ties with New Delhi in an effort to counter China.
The signing of the trade deals on Wednesday came hours after Albanese offered Modi a rock star’s welcome in one of Sydney’s biggest sporting arenas while sidestepping questions from the media about the Indian leader’s human rights record, including allegations of crackdowns on dissidents and the country’s minority Muslim community.
Albanese told reporters at Sydney’s Admiralty House that he was “absolutely delighted” to welcome Modi to Australia.
He noted that the two leaders have met six times since his election as Australia’s prime minister last year.
Australia and India are members of the Quad group of nations, which also includes Japan and the United States.
Modi is the only leader of the Quad nations to continue with his scheduled visit to Australia after US President Joe Biden pulled out of a planned meeting of the group in Sydney to return to Washington to focus on debt limit talks. 
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hosted a Group of Seven summit last week, also cancelled his Australia trip.
“Quad leaders stand together for an open, stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region … where all countries large and small benefit from a regional balance that keeps the peace,” Albanese told reporters after bilateral talks with Modi.
During their summit, the two leaders discussed trade, defence and renewable energy, and signed an agreement to establish a hydrogen task force and expand cooperation on clean energy. They also signed a deal on migration that will allow the exchange of students, researchers and business people, while boosting efforts to prevent human smuggling, according to Albanese.
