News Politics National In Pics: Narendra Modi addresses Australian Parliament

In Pics: Narendra Modi addresses Australian Parliament

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a playful dig at his Australian counterpart, telling lawmakers that it could be Tony Abbott's way of getting at them by making them listen to three


“If all goes to plan an Indian company will begin Australia's largest ever coal development which will light the lives of hundred and million Indians for the next of half century,” he said.

The Australian Prime Minister said that a new free trade agreement between the two countries is also on cards.  “If all goes to plan, and no one, if I may say so, has made the Indian bureaucracy perform as Prime Minister Modi did it in Gujarat, by the end of next year, we will have a free trade deal with what is potentially the world's largest market,” he said.

Highlighting the growing economic and military prowess of India, Abbott lamented the fact that the business between India and Australia was only limited to USD 15 billion.  “Australia welcomes India's strength in the Indian Ocean. 

Australia admires Prime Minister Modi's invitation to come Make in India which echoes our own determination that Australia will be open for business but despite that regrettably Australia only did USD 15 billion business with India last year and that hardly does justice to our two countries' potential,” Abbott said.