India-Australia Virtual Summit: ₹1500 Initiatives Announced, Artefacts Returned To India

The Prime Ministers of India and Australia held the second virtual summit between the two countries today on Monday, March 21^st. The summit is expected to bring in Australian investment announcements of over ₹1500 crore in diverse areas such as obtaining minerals for clean technology, ‘Maitri’ scholarships for higher education along with creation of a ‘task force’ for mutually recognizing education qualifications.

Other areas include space cooperation, trade and skill development, and the development of a scientific centre in Australia.

A young defence officers’s exchange programme will also be launched following the meeting, named after late CDS General Bipin Rawat.

My remarks at the India-Australia virtual summit with PM @ScottMorrisonMP https://t.co/TLBmappqgI

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 21, 2022

An ‘early harvest’ trade and economic agreement is likely to be signed at the end of the month.

Australia has also confirmed the return of 29 Indian cultural artefacts illegally taken out of the country.

Prime Minister Morrison highlighted the importance of the summit in light of ‘pressures’ on the region and in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has entered its 26^th day: “Our region is facing increasing change and much pressure and I think our Quad leaders call recently gave us the opportunity to discuss Russia's unlawful invasion of Ukraine.” “It also gave us the opportunity to discuss the implications and consequences of that terrible event for our own region in the Indo-Pacific and the coercion and the issues that we face here”