Australian prime minister Scott Morrison extended “warm congratulations to the people of India” ahead of the country’s Independence Day on August 15.
In his message, Morrison highlighted the “elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” between India and Australia.
“Our partnership is geared for the common good of our region and the global community, and this will be critical as we work to overcome the health, social and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Morrison said in his message.
“The deep friendship between Australia and India is about more than trade and diplomacy. Founded on bharosa (trust) and samman (respect) – it is a friendship with depth, and marked by democracy, defence cooperation, diaspora and dosti (mateship),” he further said in the message.
The Australian PM also said that India “is now our biggest source of migrants”. “Their presence has contributed to Australia becoming the most successful multicultural nation on earth.”
Morrison had held a virtual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June after his visit to India was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Several agreements, including one on mutual sharing of military logistics facilities, were signed during the summit on June 4.
Over the last year and a half, both leaders have met four times. Their first meet was in the year 2018, on the sidelines of East Asia Summit in Singapore, followed by the G20 in Osaka in June 2019, then during the G7 Summit in Biarritz in August 2019. The leaders last met during the East Asia Summit in Bangkok in November 2019.
