RT.com
21 Nov 2023, 01:43 GMT+10
The foreign and defense ministers of the two countries held bilateral talks in New Delhi on Monday
The second India-Australia 2+2 ministerial dialogue was held in New Delhi on Monday with the aim of deepening defense ties and strategic relations, including in the realm of trade and investments.
Representing India were Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while Australia was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
Ahead of the closed-door meeting, the Indian Foreign Ministry announced that the leaders would exchange views on "deepening ties," including in areas such as defense and security, trade and investment, critical minerals, energy, and climate change, among others, and would also discuss regional conflicts and global issues.
Jaishnakar, highlighting the key points of his meeting with Marles ahead of the extended talks, said they discussed "recent developments that influence the Indo-Pacific strategic scenario" and exchanged views on developments in the Middle East. Marles had arrived in India on Sunday to watch the cricket World Cup final match between India and Australia, which the former won.
The Australian foreign minister, who landed in New Delhi on Monday, said that the relationship between the two countries has never been "more consequential." Ahead of the meeting, Wong and Marles visited the National War Memorial to pay respects to those who sacrificed their lives.
According to India's defense minister as quoted by the ANI news agency, defense has become one of the most important pillars of the India-Australia strategic partnership. While addressing the 2+2 ministerial dialogue, Singh stressed that the partnership will not just be beneficial to the two countries but "for the overall peace, security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific."
Australia is one of India's partners in the Quad grouping, which comprises the US, Australia, India, and Japan and focuses on issues related to the Indo-Pacific region, which is an evolving geopolitical construct that represents a security link between the Indian and Pacific oceans.
The visit by Marles and Wong comes less than two weeks after Jaishankar and Singh met their counterparts from the US. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited New Delhi on November 10 for talks in a similar 2+2 format that the two countries have held since 2018. Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific also emerged as the key topic of their discussions.
At an invite-only event on Monday, which coincided with the India-Australia talks, US envoy to India Eric Garcetti said that New Delhi and Washington had made "important steps" toward strengthening their major defense partnership. The joint statement issued by the two countries after the talks noted their efforts in promoting "resilient rules-based international order to safeguard a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific through the QUAD and other mechanisms."
Indian media earlier reported that New Delhi will host the next Quad summit around January 27, just a day after India's Republic Day, which honors the Constitution of independent India and is celebrated on January 26 with grandeur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited US President Joe Biden to be the guest of honor at the Republic Day celebrations.
This year's Quad summit was held in Hiroshima on the sidelines of the G7 summit in May. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place in Sydney, but was rescheduled after Biden postponed his trip to Australia.
Where India Meets Russia - We are now on WhatsApp! Follow and share RT India in English and in Hindi
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Japan Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Japan Herald.
More InformationTOKYO, Japan: After nearly three months of complex recovery efforts, the body of a 74-year-old truck driver was found late last week...
TOKYO, Japan: Emperor Emeritus Akihito, 91, will be hospitalized for heart examinations after doctors detected a potential issue during...
HONG KONG: Hong Kong's economy grew by 3.1 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, according...
BEIJING, China: Homeowners in China are slashing prices to attract buyers as a growing number of resale properties flood the market....
TOKYO, Japan: Toyota is taking a fresh step toward autonomous driving by teaming up with Waymo to co-develop new vehicle platforms...
Washington DC [US], May 10 (ANI): The United States and China have started trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland, CNN reported, citing...
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California: The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the breakup of Google's digital advertising business, calling...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Union is preparing to unveil a detailed plan to reduce its reliance on Russian gas, including a proposal...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: U.S. food delivery giant DoorDash will acquire British rival Deliveroo in a US$3.85 billion deal, the companies...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks were weaker Friday as investors and traders continued to fret over U.S. President Donald Trump's trade...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: A U.S. lawmaker wants to introduce a new law that would help track where advanced AI computer chips, like...
EAST HARTFORD, Connecticut: Roughly 3,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers began striking...