India-Australia alliance shows free, open Indo-Pacific ties: Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Australian PM Scott Morrison that India-Australia collaboration reflects a commitment to free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific ties. In a virtual summit on Monday, he said that the cooperation between the two nations is growing rapidly in the sectors of critical minerals, water management and renewable energy, The Indian Express reported.

He said talks on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement before was crucial for the duo strategic partnership, and he is happy about the annual summit mechanism between them.

The annual summits will provide a structural system for constant review of the countries' relations. In trade and investment, defence and security, education and innovation, science and technology etc., they have close cooperation, Modi told Morrison.

Modi thanked Morrison for returning 29 antiquities of Indian origin, theming Lord Shiva and his disciples, Lord Vishnu and the Jain tradition. He said that the antiquities, some dating more than 200 years back, were stolen from Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and other states.

Australian PM, while talking about Ukraine, said that Russia must be held responsible for the vast and tragic loss of lives in Ukraine. He said that they are obviously distressed about the situation in Europe though the summit's focus is on the Indo-Pacific region.

The ongoing war will have terrible implications and consequences in the Indo-Pacific region, along with the coercion and other issues there, he said. The last virtual summit between the duo was on June 4, 2020, amidst the first wave of Covid-19.