External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met the Prime Ministers of Australia and the United Kingdom on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026 in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda, as India continued efforts to deepen strategic, economic and diplomatic engagement with both countries.

Following his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Jaishankar highlighted the interaction on X, stating, “Good to see PM Albanese at CHOGM2026.”

The meeting came amid a series of high-level exchanges between New Delhi and Canberra aimed at strengthening their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The relationship has increasingly focused on defence cooperation, economic collaboration and maintaining stability across the Indo-Pacific region.

Just last week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on the margins of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus in the Philippines.

The two leaders reviewed bilateral defence cooperation, discussed enhancing military interoperability and examined regional security challenges. During the discussions, Singh reiterated the importance India places on its strategic partnership with Australia in supporting a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific.

The growing momentum in ties follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia from 8 to 10 July for the annual leadership summit in Melbourne.

During that visit, both governments signed 18 significant agreements, including a formal defence pact and a civilian nuclear agreement covering uranium supplies, marking another step forward in bilateral relations.

Jaishankar also met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham during CHOGM 2026, conveying Prime Minister Modi’s warm wishes and holding discussions on expanding economic cooperation and addressing key global developments.

Reflecting on the meeting, Jaishankar wrote on X, “Pleased to meet PM Andy Burnham of the United Kingdom on the sidelines of CHOGM2026. Conveyed PM Narendra Modi's warm wishes. Discussed strengthening our economic partnership in the context of CETA, as well as the global landscape.”

The talks focused in part on opportunities arising from the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), with both sides exploring ways to strengthen commercial ties and unlock greater trade and investment potential.

The meeting followed a telephone conversation in July between Modi and Burnham, during which the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation across a range of priority sectors, including technology, innovation, defence, security, clean energy, education and people-to-people links.

After the call, Modi stated, “Delighted to speak with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Andy Burnham. Congratulated him on assuming office and conveyed my best wishes for a successful tenure. 

We agreed to work together across sectors such as technology, innovation, defence, security, clean energy, education and people-to-people ties and take the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to new heights.”

He further added, “We will also collaborate closely to fully harness the trade and investment opportunities presented by the recently operationalised India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, for the shared prosperity and well-being of both our people.”

The engagements in Antigua underscore India’s continued focus on strengthening partnerships with key Commonwealth nations, advancing regional security cooperation, expanding trade links and enhancing collaboration on global challenges.

ANI