Page 4 - The Indian EYE 031723

BIG STORY MARCH 17, 2023 | The Indian Eye 4

INDIA-AUSTRALIA RELATIONS

BEYOND

CRICKET

Prime Minister Narendra Modi raises the issue of vandalization of Hindu temples in Australia

as he seals an economic, defense and strategic partnership with the Quad partner country

OUR BUREAU
Ahmedabad/Mumbai/New Delhi
all it cricket diplomacy. In a
major symbolic gesture, Prime
CMinister Narendra Modi and
visiting Australian Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese were each gifted
with portraits of themselves fashioned
by collages of Australian and Indi-
an cricketers who represented their
countries in matches played over the
last 75 years.
On Thursday ahead of the start
of the fourth Test match of the Bor-
der-Gavaskar Trophy between India
and Australia at the Narendra Modi
Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
organized a felicitation for the two
prime ministers at the venue. BCCI
President Roger Binny gifted Alba-
nese and presented him a picture of
the Australian PM made up of a col-
lage of Australian players who had
represented the national team during
the past 75 years.
Similarly, BCCI secretary Jay
Shah felicitated PM Modi with a pic- Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the India vs Australia 4th Test match in Ahmedabad (ANI)
ture made up of a collage of Indian
cricketers who had represented the
Indian team. It was a special gesture ship between India and Australia. commitment towards further deepen- of the Indian community in Australia
to mark the 75 years of friendship be- It was a great example of con- ing of Comprehensive Strategic Part- is a priority for him. “Since the last few
tween India and Australia. nections between India and Australia nership. Both the nations exchanged weeks, news of attacks on temples in
Then, Modi and Albanese after and the common link of cricket. But MoU for cooperation in sports and Australia are coming regularly. It is
taking a lap of honor of the stadium as the venue of meetings moved to the audio-visual co-production. The Aus- natural that such news worries people
handed over Test caps to their re- national capital, the two leaders sat tralian Prime Minister arrived in Del- in India. I have raised these concerns
spective team captains Rohit Sharma down to talk and discuss important is- hi on Thursday evening after conclud- with Prime Minister Albanese who
and Steve Smith before the start of sues – both bilateral and geopolitical. ing his engagements in Ahmedabad has assured me that the safety of the
the match. Both the prime ministers The Australian Prime Minister and Mumbai. Indian community is a special prior-
were greeted with loud cheers before was on an official visit to India from Modi on Friday said that Antho- ity for him,” PM Modi said during
the start of the match as they took a March 8 to 11 During the first In- ny Albanese, in light of the recent India-Australia: Exchange of Agree-
lap of honor across the massive sports dia-Australia Annual Summit held attacks on temples in Australia, has ments and Press Statements on Fri-
arena to celebrate 75 years of friend- here both the countries shared their assured that the safety and well-being Continued on next page... >>

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