News World Australia will not be at periphery of India's vision: Modi

Australia will not be at periphery of India's vision: Modi

Canberra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said Australia will not be at the periphery of India's vision but at the centre of its thought, as he called for closer bilateral security cooperation and a comprehensive

But, we need a comprehensive global strategy for a global problem,” he said.  

In order to tackle the new security challenges, Modi sought closer security cooperation, a policy of no distinction between terrorist groups or discrimination between nations, a resolve to isolate those who harbour terrorists, willingness to empower states that will fight them, a social movement against extremism in countries where it is most prevalent and every effort to delink religion and terrorism.  

“India sees Australia as one of our foremost partners in the region. There are few countries in the world where we see so much synergy as we do in  Australia,” Modi said.  

The Prime Minister also called for support for the process of economic integration across the region and an open global trading system that remains integrated.  

“We must guard against regional trade initiatives becoming instruments of political competition. However, economic integration by itself won't be a strong basis for peace and stability, without strong regional institutions,” Modi said.

Modi also called for collaboration in the field of maritime security.

“We should collaborate more on maintaining maritime security. We should work together on the seas and collaborate in international forums.

And, we should work for a universal respect for international law and global norms,” he said.  Modi said countries needed to ensure that outer space and cyber space remain instruments of connectivity and prosperity, not new frontiers of conflict.

More importantly, he said, both the countries can work together to deal with piracy and range of other issues related to security.

“The oceans are our lifelines.  But, we worry about its access and security in our part of the world more than ever before,” he said.

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