India and Australia Deepen Ties Across Security, Trade and Tech

New Delhi : In a display of robust bilateral synergy, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong co-chaired the 16th Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue (FMFD) in New Delhi. The meeting, which reviewed the breadth of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across its multi-pillars, underscored a shared commitment to a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Ministers evaluated bilateral cooperation under key pillars: trade and investment, defense and security, education and skills, research and innovation, science and technology, space, energy, and people-to-people links. Both sides reaffirmed that the bilateral trade-and-investment ties have strengthened steadily and expressed optimism that negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) would advance toward a favorable conclusion soon.

Jaishankar highlighted the remarkable growth in partnership across sectors and noted that progress under CECA discussions could unlock further economic synergies. In the face of current geopolitical headwinds, he urged sustained momentum in the relationship, emphasizing shared democratic values and the imperative to tackle common challenges—maritime security, resilient supply chains, counter-terrorism, and climate action.

The two countries also discussed developments in the Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed their mutual commitment to a rules-based order, free of coercion and aggression. Jaishankar stressed the need for both nations to work together to ensure regional stability and to translate political alignment into tangible outcomes on the ground.

Wong, echoing the leaders’ sentiment, underscored Australia’s readiness to deepen cooperation in science, space, energy, and critical minerals. She emphasized practical measures to bolster supply chains, strengthen economic resilience, and support collaborative research and innovation that can address shared global challenges.

Following the discussions, Jaishankar took to the social platform X to reiterate that both nations, as fellow democracies, bear a responsibility to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific. He stressed the importance of global and regional development collaboration, supply-chain resilience, economic stabilization, and joint efforts on mineral security.

The FMFD, now in its fourth edition under the current framework, served as a platform for equitably broadening bilateral ties and aligning on regional priorities. The partners concluded by reaffirming their joint commitment to a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific and to work toward concrete outcomes that benefit both nations and the wider region.

(Report By Saswat Tiwari)