For the first time ever, Indian ministers S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh will meet with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton. A 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between India and Australia will take place today in New Delhi.
Indian foreign and defense ministers will meet with their Australian counterparts today for the first time in a ‘two-plus-two dialogue aimed at strengthening strategic ties.
Hyderabad House will host discussions between the Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at 11:30 am today.
Modi to receive a visit from Australia’s Foreign and Defence Ministers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive a visit from Australia’s Foreign Minister and Defence Minister around 4:30 pm.
About Australia’s 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue: “Our relationship has transformed in the last few years,” a source said to ANI.
Among the nations with whom India has such an agreement are the United States and Japan. For Russia, a similar decision was made, but no dates have been set yet.
Afghanistan is the prime issue to be discussed amongst others
In addition to economic security, cyber security, climate change, and other topics will be discussed by the ministers.
India-Australia 2+2 talks are expected to focus on the Afghanistan crisis, as well as other significant security problems, such as China’s role in the region and the situation in the East and South China Seas, according to a report in Hindustan Times.
Talks are also anticipated to focus on increasing Indo-Pacific cooperation in light of China’s growing military assertiveness in the region.
Miss Payne comments on Indian-Australian friendship
Miss Payne and Mr. Jaishankar are scheduled to meet for a 10 a.m. meeting in Hyderabad House after Ms. Payne laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in the morning.
Her schedule includes a press conference at 3 p.m. at Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, Muthamma Hall.
There has never been a better time for India and Australia’s friendship. Economic security, cyber security, climate change, key technologies, and supply chains are among the topics that will be discussed by the ministers during their meeting today.
Payne talks about India’s strategic partnership with Australia
Payne said that India and Australia have made significant progress in the first year of their strategic partnership, adding that they should reflect on the common ground on which bilateral cooperation is built in the Indo-Pacific region.
She was speaking at an event at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), an independent global think tank based in Delhi, India, on Friday.
India and Australia should think on complementarity and common orientation in the context of strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, she added.
Australia to give $10 million to India to build disaster-resilient infrastructure
Indian manufacturing is growing rapidly, according to Ms. Payne, and the country has emerged as a vital market for developing technologies.
To help India build disaster-resilient infrastructure, she said Australia will give $10 million. Australia is working diligently to bring the Indian students back to Australia as soon as feasible even though the virus has disrupted crucial areas of interaction such as education.