Marles, who visited India, highlighted the strong cricket connection between the two nations, symbolising their shared history, democratic values, and strategic alignment. He described India as the “home of cricket” in the contemporary sense
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles stated that both Australia and India consider China their largest trading partner while also being their “biggest security anxiety.” During the 2+2 dialogue, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong emphasised the significance of their partnership, not only for their countries but for the broader Indo-Pacific region. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the growing importance of defence cooperation within the bilateral relationship. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stressed the need for stability and security in the region amid increasing global uncertainty.Noting that the bilateral relationship has certainly grown rapidly, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said “It also has larger implications for the region and a lot of other countries look to us and to our relationship in many ways as a factor of stability and security. This, he said, happened at a time when there is increasing uncertainty in the world. We are seeing sharper polarisation, deeper stresses and today it is important to ensure that the routine is there for the region to feel safer…”
“This is a partnership which is consequential for us, but it is crucial for our region. And we see you, India, as central, crucial to the sort of region we continue to work for — peaceful, stable, prosperous and where sovereignty is respected and we look forward to going further on the ways in which we can both work together…,” Ms. Wong said.
Marles, who visited India, highlighted the strong cricket connection between the two nations, symbolising their shared history, democratic values, and strategic alignment. He described India as the “home of cricket” in the contemporary sense. The ministers discussed the transformation of their relationship in recent years, citing milestones such as the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). Jaishankar mentioned the exceptional challenges they face, emphasising the importance of planning and cooperation in addressing issues related to the rule of law and humanitarian assistance.
The 14th Foreign Ministerial Framework Dialogue (FMFD) will review progress on ongoing negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). Jaishankar noted the benefits of the Quad format in the Indo-Pacific region and highlighted the frequent engagements between the two Prime Ministers and numerous ministerial visits. Overall, the ministers emphasised the importance of their partnership for regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
