Top ministers in India and Australia have called for international counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan, strengthening mutual security ties and reducing China’s growing regional assertiveness
NEW DELHI – Top ministers from India and Australia on Saturday called for international counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan, strengthening mutual security ties and reducing China’s growing regional assertiveness.
Australia’s foreign and defense ministers met with their Indian counterparts in New Delhi, the second stop on a four-nation tour.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the future of Afghanistan was a central concern for both India and Pakistan. He said the gains of the last twenty years, such as women’s empowerment and steps towards an inclusive society, should not be allowed to be reversed.
Australia also wants to establish a free trade agreement with India to reduce its economic dependence on an increasingly hostile China.
India’s Foreign Minister Subhramanyam Jaishankar praised the “renewed vigor with which both sides are now engaged in trade matters”, without providing further details. Bilateral trade between India and Australia is about $ 20 billion a year, according to his ministry.
Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said the two countries want “a stable, resilient and secure strategic neighborhood”. He said Australia is improving its stance in the Indo-Pacific region by increasing air force cooperation, maritime engagement and exercises with India.
India, a major buyer of military equipment, depended heavily on the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. But it has been diversifying its purchases by also choosing American equipment.
India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said there are opportunities for joint development and production of emerging defense technologies and mutual logistical support.
The United States, India, Japan and Australia are part of the “Quad” regional alliance, established in 2007 in response to China’s growing economic and military strength.
The trip of Australian ministers – to Indonesia, India, South Korea and the United States – will prepare for Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit to Washington, DC, for a Quad meeting later this month.
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday amid growing frustration on the part of the U.S. because high-level engagement between the two leaders’ top advisers has been largely unsuccessful. in the early years of Biden’s presidency.