At the second India-Australia 2+2 ministerial dialogue held in New Delhi, Australian Deputy PM and Defence Minister (DM) Richard Marles said China is the “biggest security anxiety” for India and Australia.
Marles and Australian Foreign Minister (FM) Penny Wong participated in the meeting from the Australian side, while their counterparts, Indian DM Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar, represented India.
China the Biggest Security Anxiety
In his inaugural remarks at the meeting, the Australian Deputy PM said India and Australia are two countries that share history, democratic traditions, the rule of law, and freedom of speech in a world where their strategic alignment is greater than it has ever been.
Always a pleasure to see Defence Minister @rajnathsingh to discuss the ever-growing 🇦🇺🇮🇳 defence partnership.
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) November 20, 2023
2023 has been a big year for our ADF and the Indian Armed Forces with greater engagement and cooperation. pic.twitter.com/UJ6xGxWppf
“For both of us, China is our biggest security anxiety,” he highlighted in his remarks at the meeting, adding that there has never been a more important time for the two countries to be working together.
“From our (Australian) perspective, we cannot overstate the importance of this relationship,” he asserted.
Saying that this was a big year in defence engagement, the Marles emphasised that defence is a part of the “bedrock of the bilateral relationship.”
Defence an Important Pillar of Ties
In a similar vein, Indian DM Singh mentioned that the dialogue would give further impetus to the already strong relationship between India and Australia.
Singh mentioned that the cooperation between the two countries has been consistently “deepening as well as diversifying” since the inaugural 2+2 ministerial meeting in New Delhi in August 2021.
He reiterated that defence has become one of the most important pillars of the India-Australia strategic partnership, further underscoring that a strong partnership will augur well not just for the mutual benefit of both countries but also for “the overall peace, security, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.”
Marles and Singh also held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 2+2 dialogue.
The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment towards strengthening the bilateral defence relations and underscored the importance of further enhancing cooperation in information exchange and maritime domain awareness.
India Crucial to Indo-Pacific
Echoing Rajnath’s sentiments, Australian FM Wong highlighted that the partnership is consequential for both countries, but also for the entire region.
She mentioned that Australia deeply values the bilateral relationship, economic ties, two-way trade and investment, People to People links and climate initiatives, adding that Canberra sees New Delhi as central and crucial to the region.
India-Australia Ties a Factor of Stability for Others
In his opening remarks, EAM Jaishankar said, “Our bilateral relationship has grown rapidly, but it has larger implications for the region, and a lot of other countries look to us and to our relationship as a factor of stability and security.”
He went on to say that this has happened at a time when there is increasing uncertainty in the world, and today, there is a need to ensure stability in the region on a daily basis.
Joined RM @rajnathsingh ji in co-hosting the second India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial dialogue.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 20, 2023
Thank DPM @RichardMarlesMP and FM @SenatorWong for an open and productive exchange of views.
Took stock of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and our growing convergences,… pic.twitter.com/cSB8e6fwEe
The EAM also outlined that the two countries face exceptional regional and global challenges, many of which challenge the rule of law.
Additionally, Jaishankar underlined the importance of a culture of cooperation to respond to man-made exceptions and HADR situations, and highlighted the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement and mutual recognition of educational qualifications as important steps for further developing India-Australia ties.