Canberra: Australia’s High Commissioner to India Philip Green on Monday said people are the living bridge between the two countries and that India is the first country to return to and beat pre-pandemic levels of travel to Australia.

He said direct flights between the two countries have nearly tripled.

“People are the living bridge between Australia and India. Australian PM @AlboMP was one of 100,000 Australians to visit India this past year, double the number before COVID-19. India is the first country to return to (and beat) pre-pandemic levels of travel to Australia. Direct flights have nearly tripled! #dosti,” the Australian High Commissioner tweeted on Monday.

Earlier, the Australian envoy on the Hindi Diwas posted a video on 'X', stating, "Hindi is popular not only in Australia but also among our diplomats based in Delhi. Today, on the occasion of #HindiDiwas, our diplomats are sharing with you their favorite Hindi proverbs that inspire them."

According to the official statement by the Prime Minister's Office, PM Modi responded to the Australian High Commissioner's post.

Responding to his message, PM Modi took to his social media platform 'X' and said, "These couplets and idioms of yours are mesmerizing! This attachment of Australian diplomats towards Hindi is very interesting.”

In August, Green presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu and said that he looked forward to growing the “Dosti” (friendship) between the two countries.

"I start as Australia’s 22nd High Commissioner to #India. I am looking forward to advancing ties - as PM @narendramodi has said, these are based on mutual trust & respect. #dosti@SenatorWong," he captioned the video posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“This is a relationship brimming with opportunity from the security sphere where Australia and India have new levels of alignment of interest to the economic opportunity with the vibrancy of the Indian economy and the great underlying endowments of Australia present a perfect match and the human bridge,” he added.

The Australian High Commissioner to India also said that there are nearly a million people of Indian origin who now live in Australia and are now a “vital” and growing link between our two great nations.

“Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Albanese have given me a very clear signal. We want to grow this relationship as far and as fast as we can. That is my objective,” Green said.