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India-Australia renewable energy partnership launched 

The Renewable Energy Partnership aims to provide a framework for practical cooperation in priority areas such as solar PV, green hydrogen, and energy storage…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, on Tuesday (local time), during which they launched a Renewable Energy Partnership aimed at boosting investment between the two nations. 

The official announcement came as the two leaders convened the 2nd India-Australia Annual Summit on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil. 

The Renewable Energy Partnership aims to provide a framework for practical cooperation in priority areas such as solar PV, green hydrogen, and energy storage. 

Following the annual summit, the Ministry of External Affairs released a joint statement, “India and Australia have shared ambitions to move faster, work together, and deploy our complementary capabilities to drive climate action. The Prime Ministers welcomed the launch of the India-Australia Renewable Energy Partnership (REP), which provides the framework for practical cooperation in priority areas such as solar PV, green hydrogen, energy storage, two-way investment in renewable energy projects and allied areas, and upgraded skills training for the renewables workforce of the future.” 

Australian PM Albanese expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “I am delighted to welcome the launch of the India-Australia Renewable Energy Partnership. This is a significant milestone in our cooperation. Our new partnership will boost two-way investment in renewable energy.” 

Prime Minister Modi highlighted the increasing two-way trade, business engagements, and market access for goods and services enabled under the landmark India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). 

“Today, we had a very productive meeting at the second India-Australia Annual Summit. Over the last two years, this was my 11th meeting with my friend Albanese. This symbolises the new energy in our bilateral relations. Since the ECTA came into force, our bilateral trade has increased by 40%. In defence, we have enhanced cooperation through joint exercises and exchanges between young officers.” 

Meanwhile, PM Albanese accepted India’s invitation to attend the QUAD Leaders’ Summit in 2025. 

“PM Albanese has accepted our invitation for the QUAD Summit to be hosted by India next year,” PM Modi said. 

During the meeting, PM Modi reiterated India’s commitment to strengthening cooperation through the Quad. 

“The Prime Ministers reiterated their commitment to strengthening cooperation through the Quad as a force for global good, delivering real, positive, and enduring impacts for the Indo-Pacific. They appreciated the Quad’s ongoing efforts in undertaking ambitious projects to help partners address pandemics and disease, respond to natural disasters, strengthen maritime domain awareness and security, build high-standard physical and digital infrastructure, invest in critical and emerging technologies, confront climate change, bolster cyber-security, and cultivate the next generation of technology leaders,” the joint statement noted. 

Earlier in the day, PM Modi held discussions with Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font and Argentine President Javier Milei on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. (ANI) 

ALSO READ: India-Philippines at 75: A Look Back and Ahead 

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Modi holds bilateral meeting with Albanese  

Australian PM Anthony Albanese said it was great to talk with PM Modi and discuss ways to strengthen India-Australia partnership….reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held a bilateral meeting in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday (local time) on the sidelines of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) Leaders’ Summit 2024.

The two leadersreaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for mutual benefit as well as for the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.

“PM Narendra Modi met PM Anthony Albanese of Australia today in Wilmington, Delaware. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for mutual benefit as well as for the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region,” the MEA said on X.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese said it was great to talk with PM Modi and discuss ways to strengthen India-Australia partnership.

“Great to talk with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today at the Quad Leaders Summit about ways to strengthen our partnership,” PM Albanese said on X.

This was the sixth edition of the Quad Leaders’ Summit, a ‘farewell’ summit for both US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before they step down from their respective offices.

Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries–Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. US President Joe Biden is the host of the fourth in-person and sixth overall Quad Leaders’ Summit in Delaware.

As President Biden hosted a quadrilateral meeting on Saturday with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, he also announced a series of initiatives to deliver a real positive impact for the Indo-Pacific, including providing new maritime technologies to Quad partners.

In his opening remarks at the Quad Leaders’ summit, Albanese stated that the Quad security grouping is about practical and meaningful outcomes in strategic areas and emphasised the need to work for continued peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

“It is absolutely delightful to be here. I thank you, Mr President, for hosting us in your home state, home school and giving us an insight into what made you such an extraordinary world leader,” Albanese said in his opening remarks.

“It’s fantastic to be with Prime Minister Kishida; we met earlier… Prime Minister Modi would be hosting us the next year and I look forward to that as well,” he added.

Albanese further said that Quad is about practical, meaningful outcomes in strategic areas such as clean energy, critical and emerging technologies and counter-terrorism. (ANI)

PM, Kishida review India-Japan bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, on Saturday in Wilmington, Delaware.

“PM Narendra Modi met PM Fumio Kishida of Japan on the sidelines of Quad Summit in Delaware. They reviewed the various facets of the relationship, and exchanged views to deepen the cooperation further. PM thanked PM Kishida for his leadership in advancing the Special Strategic & Global Partnership over the years, and wished him success and happiness,” the MEA said in a post on X.

The sixth edition of the Quad Leaders’ Summit is a ‘farewell’ summit for both US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before they step down from their respective offices.

Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries–Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. US President Joe Biden is the host of the fourth in-person and sixth overall Quad Leaders’ Summit in Delaware.

As President Biden hosted a quadrilateral meeting on Saturday with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, he also announced a series of initiatives to deliver a real positive impact for the Indo-Pacific, including providing new maritime technologies to Quad partners.

Fumio Kishida said on Saturday that the Quad Leaders Summit taking place in Wilmington, Delaware “could not have been better suited” for his last foreign visit as the Prime Minister of Japan.

Kishida said that he consistently emphasised and underscored the efforts by the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) during his tenure, as he recalled the last meeting, which was held in Japan’s Hiroshima.

“It is a pleasure to get together with the leaders of the Quad at the Alma Mater of Joe to discuss the future of the Indo-Pacific…I express my gratitude to Joe’s friendship for ourselves and for our leadership and hostility, which demonstrate your emphasis on the Quad,” the Japanese PM in his opening remarks at the Quad Summit.

“During my tenure, I have consistently emphasised and underscored the efforts by the Quad. Following the last meeting, which was held in my hometown of Hiroshima, this meeting, I believe, could not have been better suited for my last foreign visit as the Prime Minister,” Kishida added.

He underscored the need for concrete actions by the Quad grouping, adding that the security environment has been becoming increasingly severe.

Kishida said, “The security environment surrounding ourselves has been becoming increasingly severe, and a free and open international order-based on the rule of law is under threat. Under this backdrop, it is ever more important for us and the Quad, who share values such as freedom and democracy, to continue to demonstrate our firm commitment to our common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific to the international community.”

The Quad summit’s focus lies on bolstering strategic convergence among the four countries, advancing a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Quad leaders slam China

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Australian PM condemns vandalism of US consulate in Sydney

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns also condemned the incident and described it as “reprehensible.”…reports Asian Lite News

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack on the US consulate in Sydney by the pro-Palestinian protestors and said that such acts are “not the Australian way,” Al Jazeera reported.

The incident happened on Monday (local time) when a mob attacked the US consulate with a sledgehammer and defaced it with pro-Palestinian graffiti.

“The Middle East conflict is a difficult issue. It is complex. It certainly needs some nuance and isn’t a matter of just sloganeering,” Albanese said at a news conference in Canberra while urging the protestors to “turn the heat down.”

“Measures such as painting the US Consulate do nothing to advance the cause of those who have committed what is, of course, a crime to damage property,” he said.

The security camera footage showed a hooded figure with his or her face obscured smashing windows at the consulate at about 3 am (local time) on Monday, Al Jazeera reported citing the police.

The consulate’s coat of arms was also spray-painted over with two red inverted triangles, which are used by some protesters to symbolise Palestinian resistance.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns also condemned the incident and described it as “reprehensible.”

“It’s an indication of a kind of coarsening of the public debate that no one needs in Australia,” Minns said. “This kind of behaviour will be investigated and punished by NSW police.”

Earlier in April, the consulate was vandalised with the words “Free Gaza”, while the US consulate in Melbourne was spray-painted in a similar incident last month.

Australia is a close ally of Israel but has become increasingly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza in recent months, as reported by Al Jazeera.

In April, Albanese condemned Israel’s explanation for the killing of Australian woman Zomi Frankcom and six other aid workers in an air strike in central Gaza as “not good enough”. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Australian Defence Force to allow recruits from foreign countries

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India’s Young Guns Avenge World Cup Loss

After being put in to bat first, India’s top order scripted history by becoming the first top-three Indian trio to register fifty-plus scores in T20Is….reports Asian Lite news

Young stars Yashasvi Jaiswal (53), Ruturaj Gaikwad (58) and Ishan Kishan (52) scored fifties to guide India to a 44-run win over Australia at the Greenfield Stadium to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.

After being put in to bat first, India’s top order scripted history by becoming the first top-three Indian trio to register fifty-plus scores in T20Is.

Suryakumar Yadav played a 10-ball 19 cameo before falling at the hands of Nathan Ellis. Rinku Singh remained unbeaten on 31 runs off just nine deliveries, smashing four boundaries and two sixes as India ended with 235 for 4 on the scoreboard in the first innings, their fifth-highest score in T20Is.

Australia openers Steve Smith and Mathew Short got their side off to a positive start, taking the attack to Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna. However, Ravi Bishnoi turned the game on its head with quick dismissals of Short and Josh Inglis.

All-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Tim David hit some big shots to offer a glimmer of hope for Australia. The two batters formed a quick-fire 81-run partnership to get Australia back in the contest.

Bishnoi claimed the wicket of David in the 14th over. David departed after scoring 37 runs off 22 balls, hitting four boundaries and two sixes.

Mukesh Kumar also joined the party and denied Stoinis a well-deserved half-century to effectively break Australia’s back in the 236-run chase.

The right-handed batter walked back after scoring a 25-ball 45, smashing two boundaries and four maximums.

Mathew Wade scored 42 but failed to take his team home.

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