The Indo-Pacific’s defining relationship
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s first visit to India heralded an extraordinary strategic expansion in bilateral relations. Albanese developed close personal equations with Prime Minister Modi during this visit. It would be fair to predict that with Albanese visiting India again in the last quarter of the year, and PM Modi visiting Australia in May this year, 2023 would see extraordinary consolidation in the bilateral relationship.
At one level, the visit consolidated existing partnerships in promoting cultural ties, people-to-people contacts, educational and skilling collaboration, cooperation in science and technology, and bolstering trade and investment through the common understanding on upgradation of the existing Economic Cooperation & Trade Agreement (ECTA) to a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). At another level, it placed focus on the Indo-Pacific through expanded security and defence cooperation keeping the IndoPacific squarely in mind. On board INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, Albanese referred to India as Australia’s ‘top tier security partner’ and the centrality of the Indian Ocean for both countries. For the first time, Australia would host Exercise Malabar, which would involve naval ships from India, the US, and Japan. Stepped up military exercises by Australian and Indian armed forces were also announced stressing their ‘increasingly strategic importance’ as both nations navigate the challenges of the region together. By Pradeep S Mehta & Amit Dasgupta.
(Source: https://www.fin ancialexpress.com/opinion/the-indo-pacifics-defining-relationship/3011123/(17-03-2023)
With an emphasis on security and defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to India signifies a substantial expansion of bilateral relations. Additionally, the visit fortifies economic, educational, and cultural links, with intentions to further solidify them in 2023.