Melbourne/New Delhi, 10 July (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, highlighting the role of sport in strengthening the enduring friendship between India and Australia.

Describing the visit as memorable, Prime Minister Modi said the shared passion for sport, especially cricket, continues to bring the people of the two countries closer.

Wonderful to visit the Melbourne Cricket Ground with PM Albanese. The passion for sport continues to bring the people of India and Australia closer, the Prime Minister said.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the visit reflected the deep people-to-people ties between India and Australia and underscored the important role of sporting exchanges in further enhancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.

During the visit, the two Prime Ministers interacted with young cricketers and discussed the contribution of sports in fostering friendship, mutual understanding and cultural exchange. They noted that cricket has become one of the strongest links connecting the people of India and Australia across generations.

Prime Minister Modi said that sporting ties complement the expanding cooperation between the two countries in areas such as trade, investment, education, innovation, critical technologies and defence. He noted that the growing relationship is creating new opportunities for both nations while bringing their people even closer.

The Australian Government has also described India as one of Australia's closest strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors, with people-to-people engagement remaining at the heart of the relationship.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, regarded as one of the world's most iconic sporting venues, has long symbolised the shared love for cricket between India and Australia. The visit reinforced the importance both countries attach to sporting diplomacy as a means of deepening bilateral ties and strengthening the longstanding friendship between their people.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar