PM Modi leaves for Australia after Papua New Guinea visit

Port Moresby [Papua New Guinea], May 22 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi emplaned for Sydney from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.
PM Modi will be on a three-day visit to Australia, with whom India signed a historic trade deal last year.
The prime minister decided to proceed with his visit to Sydney, after US President Joe Biden pulled out from the scheduled Quad Summit that was cancelled and later held on the sidelines of the just concluded G7 summit in Hiroshima
During his Australia visit PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.
At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people links, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation, said the official statement released by the Australian government.
PM Modi will also meet Australian business leaders to drive Australia's growing trade and investment relationship with India and take forward opportunities from the Australia-India CEO Forum held in Mumbai in March," according to the statement.
"During the visit, the Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community," the statement added.
Meanwhile, Australian PM Albanese said he looks forward to visiting India in September in New Delhi for the G20 Leaders' Summit, the world's premier forum for economic cooperation.
Earlier today in Papua New Guinea, PM Modi underlined the role of capacity building in the India-Pacific Island countries partnership. He interacted with alumni of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) from across Pacific Island Countries (PIC).
"These ITEC alumni, including government officials, professionals and community leaders, are contributing to their societies using the skills gained in India. PM lauded them for keeping India in their hearts and reiterated his support for capacity-building efforts in the region," according to Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
Earlier today, PM Modi also interacted with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. It is pertinent to mention that this is the first meeting since Hipkins became the country's Prime Minister.
"Had an excellent meeting with the New Zealand PM Chris Hipkins and discussed the full rage of India-New Zealand relations. We talked about how to improve commercial and cultural linkages between our nations," tweeted PM Narendra Modi.
PM Modi also interacted with the leaders of Pacific Island nations on the sidelines of the third India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby.
The Third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit held at Port Moresby on Monday, was jointly hosted with Papua New Guinea. Prime Minister Narendra Modi co-chaired the Summit with Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea.
PM Modi also hosted a banquet lunch with Indian cuisine and millets for the leaders of the Pacific Island countries.
Australia is the final leg of the three-nation visit of PM Modi who began his journey by attending the G7 and Quad Summits in the Japanese city of Hiroshima.(ANI)