Indian external affairs minister concludes Australia visit
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar concludes a visit to Australia today.
During his trip, Jaishankar attended the inauguration of a new Indian consulate in Brisbane, participated in the 15th India-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with his counterpart Penny Wong and met with Defense Minister Richard Marles to discuss the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.
The meetings emphasized the importance of trade and recent military cooperation between India and Australia, especially as Quad Alliance members, where both countries share common concerns regarding China’s expanding geopolitical influence. Following the Dialogue, Wong announced $1.05 million in grants for six projects under the Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership, prioritizing areas such as undersea cables, where Australia has favored domestic as opposed to Chinese funding to establish secure Pacific connections. This focus on secure infrastructure reflects Australia’s concerns over China’s influence, with India equally committed to a resilient Indo-Pacific.
Jaishankar’s visit signals that India and Australia view their growing partnership as essential to addressing shared security challenges, reinforcing their mutual interests in the region. Although the recent boarder rapprochement between China and India suggests India’s openness to more stable relations with Beijing, India and Australia’s commitment to the Quad Alliance remains strong and is likely to continue, regardless of changes in the U.S. administration.
