Aus PM Morrison praises ‘new level’ bilateral cooperation with India

Melbourne: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday described the comprehensive strategic partnership with India as a “new level” of bilateral cooperation based on trust and complemented Prime Minister Narendra Modi for playing an “important part” in “stabilising” the Indo-Pacific region during the difficult times.

The two leaders during their first virtual bilateral summit discussed a range of issues including trade, defence, education as well as the COVID-19 crisis.

The summit was held after Morrison had to cancel his trip to India in January, 2020 due to the devastating bushfires season in Australia.

The online summit took off with Morrison thanking Modi for his leadership and also lauded his role in G-20 and the Indo-Pacific, describing him as a leader who played an important part in “stabilising and constructing with wise inputs” in the difficult times.

“These are the incredible difficult times for all of our countries in the region,” Morrison said, recognising Modi’s efforts.

“Our relation is a very comfortable relationship, very natural relation, so much in common, so much as shared, if not in language always certainly in the things and values that matter we hold,” Morrison said, adding that the two sides needed to champion those values together in the region and independently.

Morrison said that the two nations can achieve a lot in the years to come as they have done in the past.

‘’We are committed to open, an inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific…and that India’s role in that region will be critical in the years ahead,’’ he said.

While the two nations shared strong cultural links, Morrison said it was time to further broaden and deepen the relationship.

He announced that the two countries would issue a Joint Declaration on a shared vision for a Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, amidst China flexing its military muscles in the region.

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas. Beijing has also made substantial progress in militarising its manmade islands in the past few years, which it says it has the right to defend.

China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. But Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims. In the East China Sea, Beijing has territorial disputes with Japan.