New Delhi, March 18 Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and the country's rise over the last decade, former Australian PM Tony Abbott said on Tuesday that he would like to see India overtake China as a critical supplies chain leader and also as one of the "real leaders" of the free world.
Abbott, who is in India to participate in the Raisina Dialogue 2025, spoke exclusively with IANS on various issues, including India-Australia partnership.
"I hope that my presence here will contribute to the steady strengthening of relations between Australia and India. They have always been good but, in the past, perhaps underdeveloped. I hope they develop very strongly in the coming years and decades," the former Australian PM told IANS.
Speaking about India's rise under PM Modi's leadership, Abbott also listed his expectations on the significant role that New Delhi would be playing in future.
"My hope is two-fold. First is that India can take the place of China in the democracy's critical supply chains. And, second is that, over time, India can become one of the real leaders of the free world because as a country which has demonstrated an absolute commitment to the democracy and rule of law, I think that India can, and should, stand with its fellow democracies against the dictatorships which are currently challenging the freedom everywhere," he stated.
Abbott also praised the Raisina Dialogue, calling it one of the few "genuinely global" forums where there is a great diversity of opinion and an opportunity for real debate.
Last month, the former Australian PM had praised PM Modi's efforts and India's leadership in reviving traditional grains and promoting their global consumption.
"I am very happy to visit the millet centre at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. I appreciate that Prime Minister Modi has made millet promotion an important part of his social upliftment efforts for the people of India. I must confess, I was not really familiar with millets. In Australia, we tend to eat wheat and rice, but these various dishes were delicious and tasty. Above all, they're very healthy," said Abbott after visiting the NAFED Millet Experience Centre at New Delhi's Dilli Haat where he had explored India's initiatives in promoting Shree Anna (millets) as a sustainable and nutritious food source.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Abbott hoped that a similar programme for millets-related awareness can also be explored in Australia due to its property of being environment friendly and healthy. He also emphasised that millets are the "super food for a super country".
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