PM Modi also invited Australian PM Anthony Albanese to attend the cricket World Cup in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a three-day visit to Australia and he used a ‘cricket diplomacy’ to explain the deepening ties between two countries which entered ‘the T-20 mode’.
PM Modi further invited Australian PM Anthony Albanese to attend the cricket World Cup in India and added that he will also get to take part in the Diwali celebration.
“I am visiting Australia within 2 months of the visit of my friend Prime Minister Albanese to India. This is our sixth meeting in the last one year. This reflects the depth of our comprehensive relations, convergence in our views and maturity of our ties. In the language of cricket, our ties have entered the T20 mode,” PM Modi said in a joint press briefing.
Both PMs met in Sydney for bilateral discussions which built on the outcomes from Australia-India Annual Leaders’ Summit in March.
“Our democratic values are the foundation of our ties. Our relations are based on mutual trust and respect. The Indian community in Australia is a living bridge between our countries. Last evening at the Indian community event, Prime Minister Albanese and I unveiled “Little India” of Harris Park. I could also sense the popularity of Prime Minister Albanese in the event,” PM Modi added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese addressed a special community event in Sydney on 23rd May. Modi was welcomed at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney in a traditional manner.
Modi addressed the members of the Indian diaspora at the community event – to celebrate the country’s dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora, amid immense enthusiasm among the community members.
On the occasion, Modi announced that India will open a consulate in Brisbane to fulfil the long-pending demand by the diaspora.
Top points on PM Modi in Sydney:
1. “The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen (American singer) and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss,” said Albanese at the community event. Bruce Springsteen is also known as ‘The Boss’.
2. Addressing the community event, Modi said, “When I came here in 2014, I made a promise to you that you will not have to wait for 28 years for an Indian Prime Minister. So, here I am in Sydney once again.”
3. “Our lifestyles may be different but now Yoga also connects us. We have been connected due to cricket for a long. But now tennis and films are also connecting us. We might prepare food in different manners but Masterchef is connecting us now.”
4. Modi said he heard that Chatkazz ‘Chaat’ and ‘Jalebi’ from Jaipur Sweets at Harris Park are very delicious. “I want you all to take my friend Australian PM Albanese to that place,” Modi said.
5. “Mutual trust and mutual respect have not developed only due to the diplomatic relations of India-Australia. The real reason, the real power is – all of you Indians who live in Australia,” Modi said.
6. Modi said today, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) considers India a bright spot in the global economy. “World Bank believes that if anyone is challenging global headwinds, it is India. The banking system in several countries is in trouble today but on the other hand, the strength of India’s banks is being appreciated everywhere,” the PM said.
7. The event’s organisers, the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation (IADF), were expecting a crowd of more than 20,000. The programme started with cultural performances.
8. Supporters of Modi have organised special buses from Brisbane and Canberra. Before leaving for Japan to attend the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Modi said he will meet the Indian community in Sydney at a special event.
9. Modi and Albanese will have a bilateral meeting on 24th May 2023.
10. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 census, 619,164 people in Australia declared that they were of ethnic Indian ancestry. This comprises 2.8 per cent of the Australian population. Among those, 592,000 were born in India. Prime Minister Modi last visited Australia in 2014.