Virtual summit meeting between PM Modi, Scott Morrison lasts beyond scheduled time

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison's first virtual summit meeting lasted beyond the scheduled time and the conversation was extremely productive, Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary (East) in External Affairs Ministry, said on Thursday.

"The summit which happened today's morning was slated to be a 40 minutes conversation but it spilled into 70 minutes. The conversation was extremely productive and the atmospheres of the meeting were very warm and friendly," Singh told the media here.

"PM Morrison described Indo-Australian partnership as a natural and comfortable one between two confident and sovereign nations who are trusted partners. We expressed satisfaction at an elevation of relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership," she said.

During their virtual summit, the two leaders decided on a Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region to harness opportunities and meet challenges together as Comprehensive Strategic Partners.

The two countries affirmed their commitment to promoting peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, which is vital for the world.

They signed seven agreements including the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) and agreed to continue to deepen and broaden defence cooperation by enhancing the scope and complexity of their military exercises and engagement activities to develop new ways to address shared security challenges.

( With inputs from ANI )