Jaishankar meets Australian, UK PMs on the sidelines of CHOGM 2026, discusses enhancing bilateral cooperation

November 5, 2026

St. John’s (Antigua and Barbuda): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met with the Prime Ministers of Australia and the UK on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026 in St. John’s. Discussions focused on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in various areas.

Sharing a photo of his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the social media platform X, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar wrote, “It was a pleasure meeting Prime Minister Albanese during CHOGM 2026.”

This meeting comes amid a series of high-level meetings between the two countries aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Last week, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in the Philippines. During this meeting, the two leaders reviewed defense cooperation, enhanced military coordination, and discussed regional security challenges.

Rajnath Singh emphasized the importance of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Australia from July 8 to 10. The India-Australia Annual Leaders’ Summit was held in Melbourne.

During this visit, Prime Minister Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese signed 18 important agreements, including a defense agreement and a civil nuclear agreement for uranium supply.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also met with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the sidelines of CHOGM 2026. The meeting discussed strengthening bilateral economic cooperation in the context of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and exchanged views on the changing global situation.

Jaishankar wrote on X, “Pleased to meet Prime Minister Andy Burnham of the United Kingdom on the sidelines of CHOGM 2026. Conveyed warm greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Discussed strengthening our economic partnership in the context of CETA and the global landscape.”

Earlier in July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his British counterpart Andy Burnham over the phone. During this, the two leaders agreed to enhance mutual cooperation in various key areas.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated Burnham on assuming the office of British Prime Minister and wished him a successful tenure.

After the phone conversation, PM Modi wrote on X, “Pleased to speak with Prime Minister Andy Burnham of the United Kingdom. Congratulated him on assuming the office of Prime Minister and wished him a successful tenure. We discussed technology, innovation, defense, security, clean energy, education, and people-to-people connectivity.”