Australia sees PM Modi's visit as historic and meaningful: Envoy

Speaking ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Australia for the G-20 Summit and for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Tony Abbot, Australia's High Commissioner to India Patrick Suckling said on Wednesday that the former's visit is viewed as historic and very meaningful.

Interacting with select media at the Australian High Commission here, High Commissioner Suckling said Prime Minister Modi's visit is being viewed as important both in economic terms, in terms of taking people-to-people contacts to a higher level.

He said that Prime Minister Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Australia after 28 years and the first Indian leader to address a joint session of the Australian Parliament. He said that it was also significant that Prime Minister Modi's address would take place a day after a historic similar address by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Commenting on expectations from the visit, High Commissioner Suckling said huge prospects have been seen by both Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Tony Abbot, especially in the wake of the outcomes of the latter's September visit to New Delhi.

He said that it was a matter of deep significance that Prime Minister Modi would be visiting Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne before moving on to Fiji.

The focus of the bilateral engagement, he said, would primarily be on economic diplomacy.

"Both leaders call themselves Prime Ministers' for infrastructure. Both will have discussions also on regional and global issues of mutual importance to the two countries and their respective governments. There will discussions on bilateral security ties. Prime Minister Modi will be interacting with the Indian-Australian community and the Australian community, and there is also his engagement at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground)," said High Commissioner Suckling.

He concluded by saying that Prime Minister Abbot was looking forward to Prime Minister Modi's visit.