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Australia's Foreign, Defence Ministers call on PM Modi

Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New Delhi [India], September 11 (ANI): Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Peter Dutton met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi following the 2+2 dialogue between the two countries.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet that leaders' guidance and commitment to India-Australia relations has lent significant momentum to bilateral ties.

"Call on PM @narendramodi by Australian FM @MarisePayne and Defence Minister @PeterDutton_MP. Our Leaders' guidance and commitment to the India-Australia relations has lent significant momentum to our ties," he said.

India and Australia held their first 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi on Saturday. The agenda included bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Payne told the media after the dialogue that India and Australia share a strong interest in ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for breeding, training of terrorists.

"We're also very focused on seeking safe passage for citizens, foreign nationals, visa holders of other countries who seek to leave Afghanistan," she said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that Afghanistan was understandably a major subject of discussion.

"We agreed that the international community must be united in its approach guided by the UN Security Council resolution 2593."

He also underlined that India-Australia relations have experienced unprecedented momentum in the last seven years.

"There have been frequent engagements despite the pandemic in a range of areas. New mechanisms have come up reflecting new energies," he said. (ANI)