Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to Australia has raised the bar for India-Australia relations, prodding the two countries to know more about each other and to do more with each other. The 22-24 May visit also galvanised the political establishment in Australia to think afresh about India as a rising global power. In this interview, Edward Norman “Ted” Baillieu, a former Premier of Victoria, and an Indophile, says that India’s rise is inevitable and the momentum in India-Australia relations is unstoppable. Ted Baillieu, an eminent architect and a member of the Board of the Australia-India Council, is not an astrologer, but the tall stately Australian politician is confident that India will be the intellectual and strategic focus of the world in years to come.
Q: PM Modi’s visit to Australia was widely seen as a big success. But India has not loomed large on the radar screen of Australians and Australia for some time. And now we had two-way visits by the two Prime Ministers in around three months. Do you think this level of high-level engagement would encourage people to know more about India?
A: Yes, I think it does. Over the last 12 months, we have had multiple visits from Indian cabinet ministers to Australia. We have hosted many of those, more than we have sent to India. In the future, there would be many more visits in both directions. This is going to normalize these connections and boost relations. When Australians see Indian ministers here, they are quite impressed with their knowledge and commitment to India-Australia relations.
Q: Australia has had a conflicted relationship with China. Is there a conscious strategy on the part of Australia to move away from China or to diversify its network of relationships?
This story is from the June 11, 2023 edition of The Sunday Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 11, 2023 edition of The Sunday Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
LNG-Powered Vessel is at Adani's Mundra port
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) Mundra welcomed CMA CGM Fort Diamant, the firstever Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) powered container vessel to dock at the port's Container Terminal-CT4, the APSEZ said in a statement on Thursday.
JSW Energy acquires 4,696 mw renewable energy platform
MUMBAI JSW Neo Energy Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSW Energy Limited, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 4,696 MW renewable energy platform from 02 Power Pooling Pte.Ltd.
DGCA SUSPENDS TWO SENIOR OFFICIALS OF AKASA AIR OVER LAPSES
AHMEDABAD The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended Akasa Air's head of operations and head of training for six months each due to lapses in training procedures.
ADANI DEFENCE ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN AIR WORKS INDIA
AHMEDABAD A dani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited (ADSTL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, has executed a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) to acquire an 85.8 per cent stake in Air Works India (Engineering) Pvt.Ltd (AWIEPL).
Digi Yatra sets stage for exciting 2025 after clocking over 9 million active users
NEW DELHI Offering a smooth and seamless experience at various airport checkpoints through face authentication technology, Digi Yatra has registered more than 9 million active users so far, with a daily average of 30,000 app downloads.
Reliance Retail joins hands with Department of Consumer Affairs
NEW DELHI On National Consumer Day which is marked annually on December 24, major retail conglomerate Reliance Retail Limited has reaffirmed its dedication to consumer safety by signing the Consumer Safety Pledge, an initiative led by the Consumer Affairs department in the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry.
How geopolitics, globalization and AI redefined 2024
2024 has been chaotic with upheavals and downdrafts.
Venture capital activity in India hits USD 16.77 billion in 2024
NEW DELHI Venture capital (VC) activity in India has witnessed significant growth from January to November 2024, with investments reaching USD 16.77 billion across 888 deals, according to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF).
MUFG AIMS FOR YES BANK STAKE ACQUISITION
After the country's largest bank, SBI ☐ rescued the beleaguered YES Bank four years back from the brink of collapse, the latter has been searching for a new owner.
24 CRITICAL MINERAL BLOCKS AUCTIONED TO BOOST ECONOMIC GROWTH
NEW DELHI The Centre has brought amendments to rationalise the royalty rates and successfully auctioned 24 critical mineral blocks in four tranches, an effort to drive the economic growth, the Ministry of Mines stated in its year-end review-2024.
