Modi, Morrison discuss Indo-Pacific peace, security

Bangkok, Nov 4 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Scott Morrison, his Australian counterpart, here on Monday, reaffirmed their desire to further strengthen the bilateral relations.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of India-ASEAN and East Asia Summit and reaffirmed their commitment for a free, open, transparent and inclusive Indo-Pacific region for promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity.

The strategic and economic interests of both the countries were converging, which opened up opportunities for working together bilaterally, regionally and multilaterally, they said.

Noting the enhanced engagement in defence and security fields, both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in the maritime domain. The two leaders discussed the threat of extremism and terrorism and agreed to work closely to tackle this menace.

Prime Minister Modi reiterated his invitation to the Australian Prime Minister to visit India in January 2020 and to make a keynote speech at the Raisina Dialogue. Both leaders underlined the need for thorough preparation to ensure a successful outcome from the visit, a statement said.