Key Point
- Narendra Modi receives a rock star welcome in Sydney.
- Mr Modi and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled the cornerstone plaque for the new Little India.
- The two will also discuss trade, defense and renewable energy.
Some 20,000 members of Australia’s Indian community enthusiastically welcomed Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi at the stadium as the new hub for Australia-India relations was announced in West Sydney.
Ahead of more formal talks between the two prime ministers scheduled for Wednesday, the two prime ministers were given constant cheers at the Olympic Park rally on Tuesday night.
Albanese announced that a new center to foster new ties and strengthen ties between the two countries would be based in Parramatta, saying “the place itself is a testament to the vitality of the Indian-Australian experience.” Stated.
“We want more connections, more Australian and Indian students to live and learn in each other’s countries and bring their experiences home.”
The prime ministers also unveiled a plaque on the cornerstone of Little India Gateway in Harris Park, Sydney.
About 20,000 spectators from Australia’s Indian community gathered at the stadium to welcome Modi. It was Modi’s first visit in 10 years and the prime minister’s sixth meeting in 12 months.
“I told my friend the prime minister. [Narendra Modi] Before, the last person I saw on stage here was Bruce Springsteen, but he didn’t get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi did,” Albanese told the crowd.
During the planned official talks, the two will discuss trade, defense and renewable energy.
“This is a relationship we need to invest in,” Albanese told Congress on Tuesday.
“We have a rich friendship and a very affectionate sporting rivalry.
“We are both part of a growing and dynamic region and Prime Minister Modi has very much welcomed our visit.”
He said he hopes trade talks on a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement that began in 2011 will conclude this year, and that ties around renewable energy, critical minerals, security and defense are expanding. .
Albanese also credited the Indian diaspora living in Australia, including about 700,000 subcontinental-born, for strengthening local democracy.
“They brought the spirit of the world’s greatest democracy to Australia and helped make our democracy stronger and more inclusive,” he said.
PM Modi meets with mining tycoons and celebrities
PM Modi met with business leaders including billionaire Gina Reinhart and Andrew Forrest as crowds gathered outside the Sydney Superdome hours before the evening rally.
He also discussed infrastructure investments in India and how Australia manages retirement pensions with Paul Schroeder, head of Australia Super, the country’s largest pension fund.
Entertainers perform ahead of the arrival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a community event at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena. sauce: AAP / Dean Lewis/AAPIMAGE
He also met singer Guy Sebastian, who described the moment as “a great honor” in an Instagram post.
“I’m humbled to be able to talk about so many things, including my mother’s Indian ancestry, my own Indian ancestry, art and music,” Sebastian wrote.
MasterChef’s 2022 season finalist Sarah Todd also shared a photo with the Prime Minister of India.
‘Two different situations’ on human rights: Marls
Some want to bring allegations of human rights violations to the fore during whistleblowing tours.
Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, urged Australia not to repeat “the same mistake it made with Beijing by setting aside human rights issues while pursuing deeper trade engagement.” .
Asked if human rights should be on the agenda, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marls said India is a large democracy that shares values with Australia.
“We have never been more strategically aligned with India than we are now,” he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
“And all of this is pushing the relationship between the two countries even closer.”
India has ignored global calls to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Russia remains a major arms supplier to New Delhi.
Mars used his speech at Monday’s Defense Summit to use Australia’s ‘an inconvenient truth’ with China as Canberra grapples with balancing competing trade interests and possible military conflict. said I need to.
Asked if India’s relations should be approached similarly when denouncing human rights abuses and suppression of free speech, Marls said the two countries are very different.
“We are talking about two completely different situations,” he said.
“We share values with India. India is a democracy.
“I’m not going to discuss what will or will not be said at tomorrow’s meeting between the two prime ministers. We have a very fulfilling and open relationship.”
Modi’s last visit to Australia came after the 2014 G20 summit under Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/bigger-than-springsteen-narendra-modis-extraordinary-welcome-to-australia/j8ytwl1gs ‘Bigger than Springsteen’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s extraordinary welcome to Australia