Australian Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison on Monday, 21 March, expressed his understanding of India's position on the Ukraine crisis, and he and PM Narendra Modi felt that the conflict should not be a reason for diverting attention from the Indo-Pacific region, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, reported PTI.
The two leaders made these exchanges during their second virtual summit held on Monday.
The first virtual summit between the two leaders had taken place in 4 June 2020, amid the first wave of COVID-19. At that meet, the India- Australia relationship was elevated to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership".
Speaking at a press conference, foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that during the meet, both the prime ministers expressed serious concerns about the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and laid an equal emphasis on withdrawal of violence and hostilities in the east European nation.
According to a report in The Indian Express, PM Morrison said that Russia should be held accountable for the "tragic loss of lives at Ukraine".
He added that the recent meeting of the leaders of the Quad countries (Australia, India, Japan and United States) on the Ukraine crisis provided them an opportunity to hold talks on the "implications and consequences" of the "terrible events" of the Ukraine war on the Indo-Pacific region.
In an effort to create new opportunities to expand bilateral trade and investment ties, the two nations, Shringla said, also had a keen interest to finalise the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.
Stating that the early conclusion of talks for Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement was pertinent for economic ties between the two nations, PM Modi said that cooperation between India and Australia is growing rapidly in areas of critical minerals, renewable energy and water management, reported The Indian Express.
"Our collaboration reflects a commitment to free, open and inclusive Indo Pacific," he said.
Both leaders also shared their concerns over terrorism besides they also spoke to each other about their views on regional and global issues which were of mutual interest.
Referring to the situation in Ladakh, PM Modi said that peace and tranquillity were necessary in the region to normalise his country's ties with China.
PM Modi Thanks Morrison for Returning 29 Antiquities
Meanwhile, PM Modi also thanked Morrison for repatriating 29 Indian antiquities from Australia to India. He said that the artefacts, which were hundred years old, were illegally taken out of several states in India including Gujarat, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.
(With inputs from PTI, The Indian Express)
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