PM Modi Discusses Issue of Attacks on Hindu Temples with Australian PM; Albanese Assures Safety & Security

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 11th March. During their bilateral meeting on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern about the vandalism of Hindu temples in Australia, and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese assured him that the safety and security of Australia’s Indian community is a “priority for them,” according to The Indian Express.

Following a meeting between the two leaders, Albanese and Modi addressed the press at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday. Albanese arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday as part of a state visit to India from March 8 to 11.

“Matter of regret that reports have come regularly from Australia in the last few weeks about attacks on temples…it is natural that such news makes people in India worried,” PM Modi said.

“I have conveyed this to PM Albanese and he has assured me that the safety and well-being of the Indian community in Australia is a priority for them,” he added.

India and Australia exchanged Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on sports and audio-visual co-production, as well as Solar Taskforce terms of reference.

Today, the Australian Prime Minister met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

At the bilateral meeting, the two politicians discussed defence and security cooperation between the two countries. “I welcome increased defence information sharing between Australia and India including in the maritime domain. We also discussed exercise Malabar, which Australia is honoured to be hosting this year,” Albanese said.

Albanese’s first bilateral visit to India since taking office in May of last year. Later in the day, the Prime Minister of Australia paid a visit to President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.