Melbourne: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, in Melbourne on Thursday, marking the second leg of his three-nation tour encompassing Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.

The bilateral meeting follows Modi’s arrival in Australia on Wednesday, where he was greeted with a major reception by members of the Indian diaspora. The welcoming event featured various cultural performances highlighting the cultural ties between the two countries.

A key moment of the reception included a performance by the Australia-India Orchestra, which delivered a rendition of Maa Tujhe Salaam.

Publishing a video clip of the segment on social media platform X, Modi remarked: "The Australian-India Orchestra's soulful presentation of 'Maa Tujhe Salaam' was wonderful. It beautifully demonstrated how music strengthens the bonds between our people."

"My compliments to every member of the orchestra for this memorable performance. It also shows the global popularity of Vande Mataram, particularly at a time when we are marking its 150th anniversary," he added.

The prime minister also observed a collaborative musical piece pairing the ancient Australian didgeridoo with the Indian tabla, performed by didgeridoo artist Ron Murray and tabla player Dr Sam Evans.

Sharing images of the collaboration, Modi stated: "Witnessed a truly exceptional musical performance featuring Australia's ancient Didgeridoo and India's Tabla. The harmony between these two timeless instruments beautifully reflected the deep cultural connect between our two nations."

He further commended the musicians for maintaining and promoting their respective musical traditions.

During the diaspora gathering, Modi also viewed a Kathak recital and subsequently published photographs taken with the dancers on X.

"Delighted to witness an outstanding Kathak performance during the welcome by the Indian community in Melbourne. Glad to see Indian dances becoming popular across Australia," he wrote.

Modi reached Australia after wrapping up his schedule in Indonesia, which served as the opening destination of his three-country itinerary.

Over the course of the three-day state visit, Modi and Albanese are scheduled to engage in comprehensive talks aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation across defence and security, trade and investment, education, migration, and public links.

In a departure brief issued prior to setting out on the tour, Modi had noted that the stop in Australia would offer an avenue to expand joint initiatives in critical and emerging technologies, as well as sports and sports science.

Following the conclusion of his official engagements in Australia, the prime minister is scheduled to depart for New Zealand for the final phase of his international tour.

With inputs from ANI