Canberra, Sep 30 (UNI) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Australia, and he has promised to personally cook him a great meal, with the main course being ‘ScoMosas’, followed by ‘Kirribilli Dahl’, and he is open to suggestions about the dessert.

Answering questions during an online interaction with Indian journalists based in Australia, Morrison said he is very much looking forward to visiting India next year. “And I think that will be another significant milestone in our partnership, particularly in India's seventy fifth anniversary year.”

“But I am hoping to welcome him to Australia. I promised him after I won the last election, I was up in Cloncurry of all places, and he rang to congratulate me.

“And on that night I promised I'd cook him a great meal if I could ever get him to Australia. I've been able to learn much more now about his preferences; so entree will be ScoMosas as I jokingly call them, and that will be followed by a Kirribilli Dahl, I think. And dessert, I'm open to suggestions,” he said.


Elaborating on his meeting with Prime Minister Modi in Washington, for the first in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit and the bilateral meeting, Morrison said the two had “a very lengthy bilateral meeting”.

“There's always plenty for Narendra and I to be discussing in what is a very warm friendship that we've been able to build up over several years now. And, that builds, of course, on the relationship that I think that Prime Minister Abbott first established. And I was very pleased that he was able to join Prime Minister Modi early this year in August as my Special Envoy in pursuing many of the issues.”

He said that there is a “standing invitation” for him to visit India “one that I've been quite keen to take up”.

“And we've been frustrated by COVID on too many occasions and other events. But we are looking forward to turning that around next year, when I'm very much looking forward to going to, to New Delhi in person. And that will be particularly important because it marks a, the significant milestone of India's 75th year of independence.

“And so, Australia would very much want to be there to mark such an important milestone for such a dear and close friend.”


Asked if PM Modi would be visiting Australia over the next year, the Australian PM said that he first needs to visit India.

“Well, first of all, I need to go there (India). That was our understanding. I think there's no impediment to him wanting to come back to Australia. He loves Australia, and he loves seeing the Indian diaspora here in Australia.

“He's so fond of the great support he has here. And he remembers his last visit to Australia very, very fondly, which was the first time I actually met Narendra. I sat next to him at a dinner down in Melbourne at the MCG. And we spoke at length that night and have maintained the relationship since. So now, as Prime Minister, I think this has only helped that relationship more. But I hope to see him here in Australia again. It'd be wonderful to see him next year in the 75th anniversary.

“But at this point, our priority is for me to get to India.”

In March 2020, Prime Minister Morrison had spent one Sunday making samosas with mango chutney and took to Twitter to share the pictures of the savouries prepared by him.

In his tweet, Morrison said that he made the samosas and the dip from scratch. He added that he wanted to share the Indian snacks with PM Modi.

"Sunday ScoMosas with mango chutney, all made from scratch - including the chutney," Morrison wrote, adding that he would have liked to share them with Modi.

"A pity my meeting with @narendramodi this week is by video link. They're vegetarian, I would have liked to share them with him."

In reply, PM Modi said the samosas looked delicious.

"Connected by the Indian Ocean, united by the Indian Samosa! Looks delicious, PM @ScottMorrisonMP! Once we achieve a decisive victory against COVID-19, we will enjoy the Samosas together. Looking forward to our video meet on the 4th," Modi tweeted, ahead of their online meeting on June 4, 2020.
UNI/RN