On September 18, 2023, the Australian High Commissioner to India Phillip Green said that people are the living bridge between the two countries and that India is the first country to return and beat pre-pandemic levels of travel to the continent. The Australian Envoy said the direct flights between the two countries have tripled.
The Australian High Commissioner tweeted “People are the living bridge between Australia and India. PM Albanese was one of the Australians to visit India this past year, double the number before the COVID-19 Pandemic came to prominence. India is the first country to return and beat the pre-pandemic levels of travel to Australia. Direct Flights have nearly tripled Dosti”
On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, the Australian envoy posted a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) stating “Hindi is popular not only in Australia but also to diplomats in New Delhi. Today, on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, our diplomats are sharing with you the famous Hindi proverbs that inspire them.”
Response by PM Modi
According to the official statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to his Twitter handle and responded to the Australian Commissioners Post on X saying “These couplets and idioms of yours are mesmerising! This attachment of Australian diplomats towards Hindi is very interesting,”
Bonhomie in India-Australia Relations
In the month of August 2023, Green presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu and said that he looked forward to the growing “Dosti” (friendship) between the two countries. Continuing further, he said “I start as Australia’s 22nd High Commissioner to India. I am looking forward to advancing ties as PM Narendra Modi has said, these are based on mutual trust and respect,” he captioned the video posted on X (formerly called Twitter).
“This is a relationship brimming with opportunity from the security sphere where Australia and India have new levels of alignment of interests to the economic opportunities with the vibrancy of the Indian Economy and the great underlying endowments of Australia present a perfect match and the human bridge,” he added.
The Australian High Commissioner to India also said that there are nearly a million people of Indian Origin who now live in Australia and are now a vital and growing link between our two great nations. “The Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Albanese have given me a clear signal. We want this relationship as far and as fast as we can. That is my objective,” Green said.
Albanese and Modi at G20
At the mega event, Antony Albanese called India’s G20 Presidency a success and took a picture with PMM Narendra Modi. The duo held bilateral talks and discussed a wide range of global issues. “A successful G20 meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid in New Delhi today followed by a good bilateral discussion about concluding the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CEPA) between India and Australia,” he wrote on X.
Earlier in May, the leaders met in the Australian city of Sydney. As PM Modi received a rousing welcome from the Indian diaspora, Albanese hailed him as the boss who surpassed rock music icon Bruce Springsteen in terms of popularity. “the last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received. Prime Minister Modi is the “boss”, the Australian PM said at that time.
