 "India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks as Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand together at the start of their meeting of the Indo-Pacific Quad at the State Department in Washington, DC., US. File image/Reuters")
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will travel to India on Wednesday for the 16th Australia-India Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue. She will also meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the two officials’ 26th meeting.
“My visit continues the high tempo of engagement between our two countries and reflects the ongoing work of the Albanese Government to deepen our relationships and strengthen our resilience,” Wong said in a statement ahead of her visit.
Calling Jaishankar her “friend”, Wong said she “looks forward” to her meeting with the Indian foreign minister. Among the topics of discussion between the two sides are defence, cyber and strategic technology, trade, maritime, security and other areas.
“Our cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership reflects our deepening alignment and shared vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Together, Australia and India are working bilaterally, through the Quad, and through multilateral institutions to advance our collective security and prosperity,” Wong said.
In October, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during his visit to Australia and hailed the fillip towards the bilateral relationship.
In a post on X, Rajnath Singh said, “Excellent meeting with the Prime Minister of Australia Hon Anthony Albanese in Canberra. He fondly recalled his deep association with India. I am confident that India-Australia bilateral relationship will continue to grow deeper and stronger.”
Upon meeting Rajnath Singh, the Australian PM underscored how India and Australia’s defence partnership is built on trust, shared interests and a commitment to a peaceful, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
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View AllHe expressed delight on meeting Singh, and said on X, “Australia and India’s defence partnership keeps getting stronger - built on trust, shared interests and a commitment to a peaceful, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Great to meet with the Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on his first trip to Australia for the Inaugural Australia-India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue.”
Rajnath Singh held a productive meeting with Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles.
The leaders reviewed the full spectrum of India-Australia defence cooperation, including defence industry, cyber defence, maritime security and regional challenges.
With inputs from agencies