External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed Australian counterpart Penny Wong.
Credit: X/@DrSJaishankar
New Delhi: There has been a "remarkable expansion" across all pillars of the India-Australia cooperation, including trade and investment, defence and security, education and skills, science and technology, and space and energy, but most of all in "our vibrant people-to-people links", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.
In his opening remarks at the 16th India-Australia Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue (FMFD) here, co-chaired with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong, Jaishankar said the recommendations that "we will make to our prime ministers will be key for them to take into account when they meet very soon".
Jaishankar's remarks assume significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Johannesburg from November 21 to 23 to attend the 20th G20 Leaders' Summit hosted by South Africa.
Also, according to a statement issued on the website of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, he will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the annual G20 Leaders' Summit from November 20 to 22.
While in South Africa, Albanese will also hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders to advance Australia's economic and strategic interests, it said.
Modi is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders present in Johannesburg, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.
A senior MEA official on Thursday said details for these meetings are being worked out.
Senator Wong arrived here on Wednesday on a two-day visit to India and met Jaishankar at the Hyderabad House on Thursday evening. She also met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the MEA said.
The ministry said this was the fourth FMFD co-chaired by Jaishankar and Wong.
During FMFD, the ministers reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and progress under different pillars of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, it said.
Regional and global issues of mutual interest were also discussed.
The ministers exchanged views on developments in the Indo-Pacific and affirmed their shared commitment to a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
"As India and Australia mark five years of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025, the visit provided an opportunity to sustain the positive momentum in bilateral ties and to decide the agenda and course for the next phase of engagement. Both sides agreed to hold the next FMFD in Australia at a mutually convenient time," it said.
In his address, Jaishankar said, "As we mark five years of that partnership, the warmth and the ease of cooperation are there for all to witness. We have seen a remarkable expansion across all pillars of cooperation, including trade and investment, defence and security, education and skills, research and innovation, science and technology, space, energy and so on, but most of all in our vibrant people-to-people links."
He said today's meeting offers an "excellent opportunity" for them to not only review the progress achieved, but also to "set the agenda and course for the next phase of our ties and the recommendations that we will make to our prime ministers will be key for them to take into account, when they meet very soon".
On the current complex geopolitical situation, he said it is clearly evident that democracies like India and Australia "carry greater responsibility, there are common challenges for us to address", including maritime security, resilient supply chains, or, for that matter, countering terrorism and ensuring climate action.
"So, it is essential that we sustain the strong momentum in our ties, that we deliver tangible outcomes, that we work together to achieve this through shared regional and global priorities," the EAM added.
Jaishankar further said, "I put a lot of value on our frequent engagements, and I do believe that they actually offer us a certain continuity of discussions and communications and understanding."
"And, the result of that... I truly believe we have a comfort level that has never been as strong as it is right now. Our Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue has been one of the key pillars of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and it surely reflects the trust, the democratic values and our common vision for a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific," he said.
Today, whether it is "our large and complex bilateral and multilateral exercises, our interoperability, the work that we do in maritime domain awareness, cyber security -- I think really reflects the confidence in our relationship".
The EAM stressed that there are different aspects to the bilateral ties, different dimensions.
"Our trade and investment linkages have also grown steadily, and the ongoing negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, I am confident, will be concluded very soon... Trade numbers today speak for themselves, and those numbers are looking increasingly good," he said.
The EAM also expressed India's appreciation for Australia's support for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, saying, "We welcome Australia's plans to launch its satellite from an Indian launch vehicle".