On His Last Day In Canberra, Indian Envoy Plays Tennis With Australian PM

The Indian High Commissioner to Australia, Manpreet Vohra, made the last day of his tenure extra special by playing tennis with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday.

He bid farewell to Australia and said that he was returning to India with amazing memories

"On my last day in #Canberra, honoured to play tennis with H.E. Prime Minister @AlboMP. It has been a privilege to serve as High Commissioner to #Australia. I return home with amazing memories, of which today's will be extra special! Thank you, Sir Farewell, Australia," Vohra posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier on Friday, Nicholas McCaffrey commenced his tenure as Australia's Deputy High Commissioner in India, in style, by riding on an autorickshaw.

McCaffrey has replaced Sarah Storey in the position and said that he looks forward to working under the leadership of Australian High Commissioner Philip Green in India.

"Namaste India! Terrific to start as Australia's Deputy High Commissioner in India, replacing the irrepressible Sarah Storey. Look forward to working with #TeamAustralia in India, under the leadership of @AusHCIndia Philip Green," McCaffrey posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier this month, Australian envoy Philip Green lauded the India-Australia relationship, which is at its "highest point" in history.

Affirming his dedication to advancing the partnership between the countries, he stressed the need to further propel the relationship to new heights.

"Our relationship is at the highest point in our history. But I'm not here to rest on laurels. I'm here to get more things done. I'm here to drive the relationship further and to drive it faster. That's what the Prime Minister told me to do when he sent me here," the envoy said.

Emphasising India's paramount significance in their bilateral relations, he expressed his commitment to proactive engagement during his tenure.

"On the economic front, our two-way trade has grown by more than 50 per cent in the last five years. And last year, we signed the landmark Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). This deal has provided the momentum for negotiations towards an even more ambitious goal: a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement or CECA," Green added.

Notably, India and Australia have also implemented an economic cooperation and trade agreement (ECTA) and are now negotiating the expansion of its scope for the CECA.

The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAusECTA) came into effect on December 29, 2022. The ECTA was signed on April 2, 2022, and ratified on November 21.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)