New Delhi

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday said that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Australia in the near future.

Addressing the media in New Delhi, Wong said Australia was looking forward to hosting the Indian prime minister soon.

“My Prime Minister has today announced that Prime Minister Modi will visit Australia in the very near future. We look forward to that visit,” she said.

Wong also said she was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Modi later in the day.

Highlighting the growing partnership between India and Australia, the Australian foreign minister said both countries shared a common vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

“We want to work together for our region and for our people,” she said.

Describing India and Australia as comprehensive strategic partners, Wong said the bilateral relationship was built on strategic trust and strong alignment of interests.

“We have a great deal of strategic alignment. Our economic ties continue to deepen. India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy and an essential economic partner for Australia,” she said.

She added that as Australia seeks to diversify supply chains and strengthen economic growth and productivity, ties with India will continue to gain importance.

Wong participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in New Delhi earlier in the day along with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Quad ministers discussed deeper cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific and announced several initiatives related to critical technologies, energy security, resilient supply chains and humanitarian assistance.

Following the meeting, India, Australia, Japan and the United States jointly launched the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework, aimed at strengthening secure and resilient critical minerals supply chains across the Indo-Pacific.

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Under the framework, the four countries pledged to mobilise up to USD 20 billion in government and private sector investments.