India, Australia to continue close cooperation for 'rules-based Indo-Pacific region': MEA

Following a bilateral meeting between PM Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said that India and Australia resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. According to the MEA's statement, the two leaders reviewed progress achieved since the Leaders’ Virtual Summit in June 2020 under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They also discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance. 

The MEA statement read, “The Prime Ministers reviewed the progress achieved since the Leaders' Virtual Summit in June 2020 under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.”

It added, “During the meeting, the Prime Ministers discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance. They noted with satisfaction the regular high-level engagements between the two countries, including the recently held first India-Australia Foreign and Defence Ministers’ 2+2 Dialogue.”

India-Aus to work closer to overcome post-pandemic challenges 

Further, as per the press note, Morrison and PM Modi also underlined the need for the international community to address the issues of climate change on an urgent basis. The PM highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environmental protection. The MEA informed that the two leaders even discussed the possibilities of providing clean technologies. 

“The Prime Ministers agreed that as two vibrant democracies in the region, the two countries needed to work closer together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world, inter alia to enhance supply chain resilience,” the MEA said. 

PM Modi and his Australian counterpart lauded the immense contribution of the Indian diaspora towards Australia’s economy and society. Both the dignitaries discussed ways to enhance “people to people ties”. PM Modi “renewed his invitation to Prime Minister Morrison to visit India,” the MEA said. 

The statement comes after PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with Morrison on the sidelines of the QUAD Leaders’ Summit. The meeting between the two was the first meeting in the post-pandemic period. It is worth mentioning that the last bilateral meeting between Morrison and PM Modi was the Leaders' Virtual Summit held in June 2020, when the Strategic Partnership between India and Australia was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 

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