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Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also joked that S Jaishankar is the minister she has met the most in her job.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong with an athlete in New Delhi. (Image: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
In a lighthearted moment, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her Indian counterpart S Jaishankar is the minister she has met most in her current role. It also acknowledged, in a humorous gesture, the dominance of the Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams.
“This is our 26th meeting, which means you are still the person I have met the most in this job,” Wong said.
“You beat us in men’s and women’s cricket,” she joked again.
The Indian women’s cricket team struggled in the league stage and suffered three successive defeats but clinched the last spot in the semi-finals, before knocking out record seven-time champions Australia and heavy favorites in the recently concluded Women’s World Cup.
India then beat South Africa by 52 runs to win the tournament for the first time.
In the same month, the Indian men’s team registered a 2-1 win in the five-match T20 series against Australia.
During the meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said there was a “remarkable expansion” in all pillars of India-Australia cooperation, including trade and investment, defence and security, education and skills, science and technology, space and energy, but most of all in our “vibrant people-to-people ties”.
In his opening remarks at the 16th India-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue here, which he co-chaired with Wong, he also said that the recommendations “that we will make to our prime ministers will be key for them to take into account” when they meet fairly soon.
Jaishankar’s remarks assume significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Johannesburg from November 21-23 to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted by South Africa.
Senator Wong arrived here on Wednesday on a two-day visit to India and met Jaishankar at Hyderabad House on Thursday evening.
In his speech, Jaishankar emphasized the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Australia.
“As we celebrate five years of that partnership, the warmth and ease of cooperation is there for all to witness,” he said. “We have witnessed a remarkable expansion in all pillars of cooperation, including trade and investment, defense and security, education and skills, research and innovation, science and technology, space, energy and so on, but most of all in our vibrant people-to-people connections.”
Shankianil Sarkar is Sub-Editor at News18. It covers international affairs, focusing on breaking news and in-depth analysis. He has more than seven years of experience during which he covered many… Read more
20 November 2025 at 7:47 PM IST
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