Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a visionary leader and lauded him for playing a “constructive and very positive role in these very difficult times”.
Morrison thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending an invite for the virtual bilateral meet and said PM Modi’s leadership is laudable not just within India but “broadly throughout G20 and the Indo-Pacific”. Morrison’s comments came during his first-ever virtual bilateral summit with PM Modi on Thursday. He commended India on its leadership on taking Chair of WHO’s executive board.
“This is a very important time to be chairing that board and I have no doubt that India’s leadership will be critical in dealing with difficult problems globally particularly in the health area,” he said.
Also read: ‘Our ties are deep with shared values’ - PM Modi during virtual summit with Australian PM
The Australian PM said that his administration is committed to an open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific and “India’s role in that region, our region will be critical in the years ahead”.
{{/usCountry}}The Australian PM said that his administration is committed to an open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific and “India’s role in that region, our region will be critical in the years ahead”.
{{/usCountry}}The Australian Prime Minister said the idea of holding a virtual bilateral meet doesn’t come as a surprise to him during the prevailing circumstances. “It doesn’t surprise me, this is how (virtually) we’d continue to meet in these circumstances,” he said and described PM Modi as a pioneer in the area of technology in India.
On a lighter note, Morrison said he wish he could be in India for the famous ‘Modi hug’ and share samosas.
Also read: ‘Next time it will be Gujarati Khichdi’: Australian PM tells PM Modi during virtual summit
“I wish I could be there for what has become the famous ‘Modi hug’ & share my samosas. Next time, it will have to be the Gujarati Khichdi. I will try that in the kitchen before next time we meet in person,” PM Morrison said.
Before today’s virtual summit, both leaders have met four times. Their first meet was in the year 2018, on the sidelines of East Asia Summit in Singapore, followed by the G20 in Osaka in June 2019, then during the G7 Summit in Biarritz in August 2019. The leaders last met during the East Asia Summit in Bangkok in November 2019.