PM Narendra Modi during a press conference with Australian PM Tony Abbott at Parliament House in Canberra (Agence France-Presse photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said Australia will not be at the periphery of India's vision but at the centre of its thought, as he called for closer bilateral security cooperation and a comprehensive global strategy to tackle the menace of terrorism.
Mr Modi, while addressing the Australian Parliament - the first Indian Prime Minister to do so - said, "It has taken a Prime Minister of India 28 years to come to Australia. It should never have been so. And, this will change. Australia will not be at the periphery of our vision, but at the centre of our thought."
The 64-year-old addressed the Parliament after holding bilateral talks with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott following which the two countries signed five pacts on social security, transfer of sentenced prisoners, combating narcotics trade, tourism, and Arts and Culture.
During the talks, the two sides sought an early conclusion of negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement and a closure on the civil nuclear deal.
Addressing the Parliament, PM Modi said terrorism has become a major threat.
"In India, we have seen its face closely for three decades. And, we see it with the clarity that comes with it. Terrorism is changing in character and expanding in its reach," he said.
"Internet has made recruitment and call to violence self-generated. It also feeds off money laundering, drug trafficking and arms smuggling. We have to deepen our bilateral security cooperation. But, we need a comprehensive global strategy for a global problem," he said.
In order to tackle the new security challenges, PM Modi sought closer security cooperation, a policy of no distinction between terrorist groups or discrimination between nations, a resolve to isolate those who harbour terrorists, willingness to empower states that will fight them, a social movement against extremism in countries where it is most prevalent and every effort to delink religion and terrorism.
"India sees Australia as one of our foremost partners in the region. There are few countries in the world where we see so much synergy as we do in Australia," PM Modi said.
He said India and Australia were members of several institutions "critical" to the region and the world and both nations should coordinate more closely on different global fora.
He also said the two nations didn't need to rely on borrowed architecture of the past nor did the two have the luxury to "choose who we work with and who we don't."
"But, what we do need is to work together and with others to create an environment and culture that promotes the currency of co-existence and cooperation; in which all nations, small and big, abide by international law and norms, even when they have bitter disputes.
PM Modi said India's development and growth provided a long-term opportunity for Australia and it had immense opportunities in the field of agriculture, food processing, mining, infrastructure, finance, technology and energy.
"We have a new Mission for turning 'Make in India' into a global name just as Computer in India is. But, we want to find new pathways to prosperity, not simply travel down the roads of the previous century. Much of India's future cities and infrastructure is yet to be built and so we have a unique opportunity to make our choices now."
He highlighted that since his government came to office, no region had seen more intense engagement on India's part than the Asia Pacific region.