Australian High Commissioner Barry O'Farrell meets Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell on Thursday met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru. The two discussed how Australia's soon-to-open Consulate-General in Bengaluru will enable closer collaboration in critical areas like education, innovation, space and rural development.
"Met and congratulated #Karnataka's new #ChiefMinister @siddaramaiah ji on his election victory. We discussed how Australia's soon-to-open Consulate-General in #NammaBengaluru will enable closer collaboration in critical areas like education, innovation, space and rural development," O'Farrell tweeted on Thursday. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently announced the opening of the new Australian Consulate General in an Indian city, Bengaluru, and said that this will help in connecting the country's businesses to India's booming digital and innovation ecosystem.
Addressing a joint press conference in Sydney, Australia, PM Albanese said, "I'm pleased to announce the establishment of a new Australian Consulate General in Bengaluru, which will help connect Australian businesses to India's booming digital and innovation ecosystem. And I welcome India's plans for a consulate general in Brisbane."
"The Bengaluru establishment will be the fifth diplomatic presence that is there in India from Australia. I want to thank you again, Prime Minister Modi for visiting and receiving such a warm welcome here. And I look forward to returning to India in September for the G 20 leaders summit," he added.
After exchanging the MoUs on mobility, migration, and green hydrogen task force, PM Modi and the Australian PM addressed the press conference in Australia.
The Australian PM also spoke about his meeting with PM Modi in a year. He said that this is the sixth meeting with PM Modi in a year. He also talked about the Quad Summit, which took place in Japan's Hiroshima on the sidelines of the Group of Seven or G7 Summit.
The Australian PM reiterated the Quad Summit statement and said, "Quad leaders stand together for an open, stable, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. A region where sovereignty is respected and all countries large and small benefit from a regional balance that keeps the peace. This is my 6th meeting with prime minister Modi in one year." (ANI)