India-Australia Partnership
I stand here as one of you a representative of the people. I came to you with the greeting of 1.25 billion people of a nation. That is linked to the Australia by the great Indian Ocean, by our connected history, and our many shared inheritance, and even more by our deeply interlinked destinies.
And today, I've come to unite in the spirit as we were once by geography. The spirit that is fed by many stunning stories of human success and sacrifice. This morning, Prime Minister and I honored our soldiers who 100 years ago made the supreme sacrifice together in the Battle of Gallipoli.
The man who designed this beautiful capital of Canberra, Walter Burley Griffin, lies buried in the old city of Lucknow in India. More than 150 years ago, an Australian novelist and lawyer, John Lang, fought the legal battle for a brave Indian freedom fighter, the Queen of Jhansi Rani Laxmibai against the British East India Company in India's first war of independence.
He also lies buried in the Indian hill town of Mussoorie. The statue of Gandhi in Canberra is a symbol of our shared values. We celebrate the legend of Bradman and the class of Tendulkar together.
We are impressed by Australian speed, as you charmed by the Indian spin. Until of course, Shane Warne came along. But above all, we are united by the ideals of democracy.
Today, as I stand in this temple of democracy, I consider nations such as ours to be blessed because democracy offers the best opportunity for the human spirit to flourish. Because we have the freedom to choose, the right to speak, and the power to remove, and for us, in politics, with no option but to leave with disgrace. Generations of people's representatives have made Australia one of the great nations of the world today.
From the vast length of territory to the abundance of resources, nature has been generous to you. But it is the people of Australia who have made Australia what it is today. A beacon of democracy and rule of law.
A nation that willingly leads the search of lost aircrafts. One of the most prosperous nations in the world. Among the best in human development index.
A nation with some of the best cities in the world. Some of the most productive farms and mines. Some of its best universities and research centers.
An advanced technology base, and a nation with great sporting skills. Australia evokes images not just of immense beauty, but also of a great quality of life. Today, its cities are alive with the richness of this world's diversity, and it is home to 450,000 Indians who are as proud to be part of Australia as they are of their Indian heritage.
Honorable members, there was a time when for many of Australia was a distant land on the southern edge of the world. Today, the world sees Australia to be at the heart of the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region. This dynamic region holds the key to this world's future, and Australia is at its crossroad.
And as Australia has become more engaged in this part of the world, we welcome its growing role in driving this region's prosperity and shaping its security because we in India seek the same future for this world. We also see Australia as a vital partner in India's quest for progress and prosperity. There are few countries in this world where we see so much synergy as we do in Australia.
India, a nation of more than a billion seeking development. Australia, a developed country of a few million people and vast resources. Since the turn of this century, India has been the second fastest growing economy in the world.
Millions have lifted themselves out of poverty into a new life of possibilities. Today, we have a government with a clear majority after thirty years. From the remotest village to the biggest cities, there is a new high tide of hope in India, a new energy.
It is the energy of our youth, the eight hundred million people below the age of thirty-five, eager for change, willing to work for it because now they believe that it is possible. That they can make it happen. It is this force of transformation that will unleash.
In these six months that we have been in office, we have moved forward thinking with ambition, acting with speed, seeking growth not just for growth, but to transform the quality of life of every Indian. I see Australia as a major partner in every area of our national priority. Providing skills and education to our youth.
A roof over every head and electricity in every household. The most affordable healthcare for the most difficult disease. The next generation of infrastructure that does not take a toll on our environment.
Energy that does not cause our glaciers to melt. Clean coal and gas, renewable energy, or fuel for nuclear power. Cities that are smart, sustainable, and livable.
Villages that offer opportunities. Agriculture that yields more and farms that are better connected to markets. Practices and technology that save water.
We have a new mission for turning Made 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. And in every sector, agriculture, food processing, mining, infrastructure, finance and technology, energy. From providing funds and resources to technology and expertise.
Working as partners and investors, Australia has immense opportunities to participate in India's progress. In India will be the answer to your search for new economic opportunities and your desires to diversify your global economic engagement. Your source for world-class skills at home or for a manufacturing location abroad.
India's development, demography, and demand provide a unique long-term opportunity for Australia, and all in the familiar framework of democracy. There is no other example of this nature in the world. India, Indian investors too are coming here in growing numbers and commitments.
Honorable members, this is an age rich in promises, but also filled with challenges. We can only pursue our dreams if we have the confidence that our cities are safe, our nations are secure, our region is stable, and our world is peaceful. This vast region has many unsettled questions and new challenges.
Historical differences persist despite growing interdependence. The ocean are our lifelines, but we worry about the access and security in your part of the world more than ever before. Our region has seen huge progress on the foundation of peace and stability, but we cannot take this for granted.
Preserving it will be the most important task in the region. India and Australia can play their part in it by expanding our security cooperation and deepening our international partnerships in the region. But we do not have to rely on borrowed architecture of the past, nor do we have the luxury to choose who we work with and who we do not.
But what we do need is to work together and with others to create environment and culture that promotes the currency of coexistence and cooperation in which all nations, small and big, abide by international law and norms, even when they have bitter disputes. We should collaborate more on maintaining maritime security. We should work together on the seas and collaborate in international forums, and we should work for a universal respect for international law and global norms.
We must also support the process of economic integration across the region and an open globe trading system that remains integrated. We must guard against regional trade initiatives becoming instrument of political competition. However, economic integration by itself would not be a strong basis for peace and stability without strong regional institutions.
India and Australia are members of several institutions that are critical for the region and the world. We should coordinate more closely in East Asia Summit, G20, and the Indian Ocean Region Association. Honorable members, in our interconnected world, our shared challenges extend beyond our region.
Terrorism has become a major threat for us all. 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.
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.
It will require closer security cooperation, but even more, a policy of non-no distinction between terrorist groups, of discrimination between nations. A resolve to isolate those who harbor 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 de-link religion and terrorism. I as I look to the future, we will also need to ensure that outer space and cyberspace remain instruments of connectivity and prosperity, not new frontiers of conflict. Responding to the region's disasters, combating proliferation, acting against piracy, we'll work together on a full range of security challenges.
Honorable members, since my government entered office, no region has seen more intense engagement on India's part than Asia Pacific region, because we understand how deeply our future is linked to this region. India and Australia can play cricket hard with each other, and I suspect we will next month. But we see Australia as one of our foremost partner in the region.
I was pleased to host Prime Minister Tony Abbott as my first state guest in September. 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 center of our thoughts. So we stand together at a moment of enormous opportunity and great responsibility. I see a great future of prosperity, partnership between India and Australia, and a shared commitment to realize it.
Prime Minister Abbott started us on this new journey in September. I've come here to set our two countries more firmly on that course. With your help, and with the help of the great people of India and Australia, I wish you the best for hosting great and successful world cricket early next year.
Thank you all. Thank you very much. Thanks a lot. Thank you.
