New Delhi: India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar is currently touring Australia to strengthen bilateral ties. This is his second visit to Australia this year. Jaishankar met Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on Monday. The meeting between the two diplomats took place in Canberra. During this, the Foreign Minister of India presented a special gift to Richard Marles, who is also the Defense Minister of Australia. Keeping in mind Marles' love for cricket, Jaishankar gifted him a bat signed by legendary Indian batter Virat Kohli.
"A pleasure to host @DrSJaishankar here in Canberra. There are many things which bind us, including our love of cricket. Today, he surprised me with a signed bat from cricket legend @imVkohli," Marles wrote on Twitter as he posted a pic of Jaishankar gifting him bat signed by Virat Kohli.
Meanwhile, India's foreign minister Jaishankar too posted a couple of pictures from their official meeting. "Pleased to meet DPM and Defence Minister of Australia @RichardMarlesMP. Exchanged views on regional and global security. Our growing defence and security cooperation ensures a peaceful, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific," he captioned his post on the micro-blogging site.
After concluding his first-ever visit to New Zealand, Jaishankar was given a "Tiranga welcome" in the Australian capital on Sunday.
"Visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Laid a wreath in honour of all those who made the supreme sacrifice including Private Nain Singh Sailani," Jaishankar said in a tweet.
Earlier this year, Jaishankar had gifted a cricket bat signed by Kohli to his Australian counterpart Maris Payne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Jaishankar had visited Australia in February to attend the quad foreign ministers' meeting. He had presented the bat to Payne in the presence of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.