Thanking his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese for the warm welcome he received during his visit to Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday recounted how the bilateral relationship between the two countries has improved since he came to power and said New Delhi and Canberra's ties are at an all-time high.
Participating in a mega community event in Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, the prime minister said the ties have improved between Australia and India because of the Indian diaspora. He said Melbourne has a lot of places now, which are referred as 'mini India' now.
PM Modi recalled that since he took oath in 2014, he has visited Australia on three separate occasions, which demonstrates the great heights that the relationship between India and Australia has reached. He said the Indian diaspora are actively working for Australia's development.
"This show is houseful," he said, "It is a blockbuster... Before this, I had met you all twice in Sydney. I was also waiting to meet the people of Melbourne. So this time I thought I would have a flat white coffee with the people of Melbourne."
The prime minister also reiterated his goal to make India 'viksit' (developed) by 2047 and said the country aspires to become the world's third largest economy at the quickest. He also recalled India's successful achievement of reaching the moon's south pole and said the country is now working to launch its own space station.
He also said India has become world's second largest 5G market and is working on 'Made in India' 6G technology. Further, India has the world's third largest metro network, he said, while adding that his government has launched 'Vande Bharat' and 'Namo Bharat' rail services.
He also recalled India's military success against Pakistan during 'Operation Sindoor' and said terror launch pads were decimated by Indian Armed Forces, which the entire world saw. He further reiterated that India aims to achieve more and the country wants to become completely 'atmanibhar' (self-reliant) in the defence sector.
"When one goal is achieved, an even greater resolve takes its place," PM Modi said. "This is an India that believes in 'Grow More, Achieve More.' We are a nation of 1.4 billion people, brimming with aspirations."
PM Modi further reiterated that India is one of the first responders when it comes to helping a nation during a natural disaster and said how the country assisted Venezuela when it was hit by a powerful earthquake earlier this month. He also recalled how India provided vacancies and medical assistance to over 100 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also said India and Australia will also improve their ties in sports, while pointing out that the former is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and is also a contender to host the 2036 Olympics.
"For us, the citizen is paramount. That situation has changed now; most tasks can be accomplished through self-attestation. The journey that began there has now led to the creation of DigiLocker in India—a digital system where Indians can store their documents in a digital format," he noted.
"With this, documents can be shared, verified, and accepted with just a single click. Creating a system is one thing, but building it with scalability and robust security features is a truly significant achievement," he added.
Coming to Albanese, the Australian prime minister also addressed the Melbourne event and hailed the bilateral relationship between New Delhi and Canberra. Lauding PM Modi, Albanese called the Indian leader a 'living bridge' between the two countries.
"The energy that we feel here defines the Australia-India partnership. It is enthusiasm, dynamism that drives positivity and promise of our two nations and peoples," he said.
"It is an enthusiasm and a dynamism that drives the positivity and promise of our two nations and people. As Prime Minister, I have twice had the great privilege of visiting India. And each time, I've been bowled over by the beauty and vibrancy of the land. And humbled by the generosity and warmth of its people," he added.
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