India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar and Australia’s Senator Penny Wong are in Cambodia to attend the ASEAN ministerial meeting.
Ahead of the ministerial meeting, both met to discuss bilateral relations. Dr Jaishankar tweeted that he and Wong took a positive note of the progress in the Australia-India bilateral relations: “Pleasure meeting FM @SenatorWong of Australia again. Took positive note of the progress in our bilateral relations. Benefited from the exchange of perspectives on regional and global issues.”
In her reply, Senator Wong tweeted: “India is a vital partner for Australia in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”
After Senator Wong’s appointment, Dr Jaishankar in a tweet called her a long-standing friend of India: “Congratulations @SenatorWong on your appointment as Australia’s Foreign Minister. We know you as a longstanding friend of the #IndiaAustralia relationship. Look forward to meeting you soon.”
Former Senator Lisa Singh, CEO of the prestigious Australia-India Institute (AII), also took to Twitter to highlight the importance of Dr Jaishankar and Senator Wong’s meeting: “Two outstanding leaders for the region and the Australia-India relationship.”
Meanwhile, Dr Jaishankar visited the 12th-century Ta Prohm Temple in Siem Reap of Cambodia and tweeted India’s “our deep cultural connect” with the small Southeast asain nation.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
