New Delhi. With China’s increasing reach in the Indian Ocean, leaders of India and Australia will meet later this month to discuss maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison who is slated to visit India later this month at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will focus on the expansion of military ties, and also deepening of economic relations with India.
The visit by the Australian Prime Minister at the head of a high level delegation shows the growing importance that the two countries attach to their ties.
Morrison will be delivering the inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue 2020 in New Delhi, which is an annual conference on geopolitics and geo-economics. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs. This year it is from January 14 to 16.
After bilateral level talks, the two sides are expected to ink Mutual Logistics Support Agreement which will help in interoperability and enable military platforms to receive support and supplies across bases in both nations. At the 2+2 Secretary Level Dialogue last year both sides had discussed the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement in New Delhi and deeper military ties between the two countries.
For India, Australia is a key partner in its Indo-Pacific strategy and for Australia the Indo-Pacific is of strategic importance. This will be on the agenda for talks between the two sides as well as dialogue on Quad which involves countries including India, Japan, US and Australia.
Australia is targeting India as one of the top export destination as well as looking at India as a strategic partnership.
In a report authored by Ambassador Anil Wadhwa and Former Secretary (East), for deepening the India-Australia Economic Relations, new ten sectors have been identified including space technology, medical and water technologies, mining, resources, education and manufacturing.
Though the two sides have been negotiating a bilateral comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CECA) since 2011, there has not been much progress due to concerns on both sides.
“Since India has pulled out from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) recently, most likely the CECA talks between India and Australia will be back on track,” said a senior officer.
