Prime Minister Narendra Modi is concluding his three-nation tour in Australia as India seeks to assert its role in the Indo-Pacific.
EDnews informs that Narendra Modi has arrived in Sydney for his second Australian visit as Indian prime minister.
The leader of the South Asian nation kickstarted his three-day tour on Tuesday by telling Australian media that he wanted to take New Delhi's ties with Canberra to the "next level," which includes deepening defense and security relations to help ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
"As two democracies, India and Australia have shared interests in a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. There is alignment of our strategic viewpoint," Modi told The Australian newspaper.
"The high degree of mutual trust between us has naturally translated into greater cooperation on defense and security matters. Our navies are participating in joint naval exercises. I am confident that there is merit in working together to realize the true potential in closer defense and security cooperation," he added.
The visit comes after Modi attended a weekend Quad summit in Japan with the leaders of the United States, Japan and Australia to counter China's rising influence in the Indo-Pacific.