External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has stressed that the India-Australia strategic partnership is making great strides. He held the 14th Foreign Ministerial Framework Dialogue with Australian counterpart Penny Wong in New Delhi today. Both Ministers discussed close collaboration in trilateral, quadrilateral and multilateral formats. They also exchanged perspectives on the Indo-Pacific and West Asia regions.
In a joint briefing after the Dialogue, Dr Jaishankar said every facet of the India-Australia relationship is on the move. He said they had an extensive discussion on security issues. He stressed that as liberal democracies and Quad partners, India and Australia will continue to work towards a rules-based international order and support freedom of navigation in international waters, promoting connectivity, growth and security for all while respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states.
He said India and Australia have a shared commitment to a free, open, inclusive, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. He said, both the countries have expressed their commitment to build a more trusted, reliable and resilient supply chain in the Indo-Pacific region.
The External Affairs Minister said they discussed the current situation in West Asia, as well as South Asia, Southeast Asia and ASEAN. They also spoke about terrorism, radicalism and extremism.
The Australian Foreign Affairs Minister said that Australia will host the Indian Ocean Conference in February at Perth next year. Minister Wong said it will be an opportunity to discuss practical solutions for key challenges facing the region. She also announced an Australia-India Audio Visual Coproduction agreement.
