INDIA - AUSTRALIA STRENGTHEN TIES

INDIA - AUSTRALIA MEET STRENGTHEN TIES

India and Australia raised their relationship to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”

Virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Nine agreements including a mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) and issued a joint declaration on a “Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific”.

MLSA which will allow both militaries the reciprocal use of bases, humanitarian and disaster relief cooperation, port exercise, and passage exercises

Agreed to increase the frequency of meetings between the two Prime Ministers “2+2” format of bilateral meetings to the level of Foreign and Defence Ministers , who will meet to “discuss strategic issues”at least every two years.

Other agreements announced included a framework arrangement on cyber technology, an MoU on mining and processing critical and strategic minerals 

Bilateral Relations: Two nations have much in common, underpinned by shared values of pluralistic, Westerminister style democracies, Commonwealth traditions, expanding economic engagement and increasing high level interaction

Upgradation of bilateral relationship between the two nations to a ‘ Strategic Partnership ‘, including a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation in 2009

Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue (FMFD), the central mechanism for advancing the bilateral agenda, is held annually, alternatively in India and Australia

Australia supports India’s candidature in an expanded UN Security Council.

India and Australia are members of the Commonwealth, IORA, ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia Pacific Partnership on Climate and Clean Development, and have participated in the East Asia Summits.

Both countries have also been cooperating as members of the Five interested Parties (FIP) in the WTO context.

Australia is an important player in APEC and supports India’s membership of the organisation

In 2008, Australia became an Observer in SAARC

India-Australia CEO Forum: It is a mechanism for business from both nations to engage directly on ways to build the bilateral trade and investment relationship

India-Australia Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) was established in 1989 to enable interaction at a government and business level on a range of trade and investment related issues

Civil nuclear cooperation Agreement between the two countries was signed in September 2014 and came into force from 13 November 2015

Australia – India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) has been set up, both the countries have identified a number of collaborative research projects

A Joint Working Group on Energy and Minerals was established in 1999 to expand bilateral relationship in the energy and resources sector

July 2017, Foreign Minister Ms. Julie Bishop signed a framework agreement for Australia to join the International Solar Alliance

Australia has also agreed to help in establishing a Sports University in India

Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and the Extradition Treaty between lived and Australia , which were signed in June 2008, and have entered into force on 20 January 2011

India and Australia signed a Social Security Agreement in November 2014 and came into force from 1 January 2016