Modi Overwhelms Australia

Prime Minister Modi has overwhelmed the Australian government with his decision to visit Sydney and Melbourne, apart from his scheduled visits to Brisbane and Canberra for the G20 summit and bilateral meetings, respectively. The Tony Abbott government is now busy finalising the itinerary for Modi's four-city tour. Modi leaves for Australia on November 14 from Myanmar, after attending the India-East Asia summit and India-ASEAN summit.

Canberra, which will host an Indian PM after 28 years, was surprised when Modi suggested that he would not only visit Brisbane and Canberra as scheduled but would expand his tour as part of his efforts to deepen bilateral partnership, official sources said. The trip comes less than three months after Abbott's Delhi visit, when the landmark uranium supply deal was signed. Abott was the first head of government to visit India after Modi took over.

Sources indicated that expanding energy ties would be big on Modi's agenda during his Australia trip. “It will be not just Uranium. Australia has huge coal reserves that can last for nearly 1,000 years. Besides, it can be a source for natural gas to India. Australia can emerge as a major energy supplier to Delhi”. “Both are right-wing politicians who also want to promote economic diplomacy. There is a natural synergy between the two leaders”.

His visit will be the first by an Indian premier to Australia since 1986, when Rajiv Gandhi visited the country.