Despite the cancellation of the Quad Summit conference in Sydney, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s impending visit to Australia underscores the importance India has on its bilateral relationship with Australia. The evolution of this partnership over the last decade, along with strong bipartisan support in Australia, indicates the beginning of a new chapter in India-Australia relations.
Background on India-Australia Relations
- In recent years, the India-Australia bilateral relationship has evolved into a friendly cooperation on a healthy trajectory.
- The two countries share many principles, including pluralistic, Westminster-style democracies, Commonwealth traditions, increased economic ties, and so on.
- Strong, vibrant, secular, and multicultural democracies, a free press, an independent legal system, and the English language are among the many similarities.
Historical Consideration
- The historical relations between India and Australia began shortly after European arrival in Australia in 1788.
- The British East India Company controlled all trade to and from the convict colony of New South Wales via Kolkata.
- In the pre-independence period, India and Australia established diplomatic connections with the opening of the India Trade Office in Sydney in 1941.
- The end of the Cold War, together with India’s willingness to implement major economic reforms in 1991, marked the first positive step towards the strengthening of bilateral ties.
What significance does this upcoming visit have?
- Strengthening Bilateral Relations: The visit reinforces India and Australia’s determination to further enhance their bilateral ties. It allows for high-level engagements, talks, and partnerships on a variety of problems of mutual interest.
- Increasing Economic collaboration: The visit has the potential to increase economic collaboration between India and Australia. It serves as a platform for the exploration of new pathways for commerce, investment, and technology collaboration, which benefits both economies and creates commercial prospects.
- Showing Commitment to the Indo-Pacific Region: The Prime Minister’s visit to Australia will highlight both countries’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific region’s peace, stability, and development. It emphasises the importance of India and Australia as regional stakeholders.
- Collaboration on Strategic and Security problems: The visit allows for discussions and collaboration on strategic and security problems such as maritime security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and defence cooperation. This will help to maintain regional stability and handle common security concerns.
- Promoting individuals-to-People Connections: Interactions between individuals and cultural exchanges are critical for strengthening relationships between nations. Prime Minister Modi’s visit will foster people-to-people relationships, deepen the participation of the Indian diaspora, and improve cultural understanding between India and Australia.
India and Australia’s expanding partnership
- Increased Bilateral Engagement: The number of high-level visits and interactions between India and Australia’s leaders has increased, demonstrating the significance both nations have on their bilateral relationship.
- Multilateral Cooperation: India and Australia work closely together in a variety of multilateral forums, including the Quad, G7, East Asia Summit, G20, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association. They address critical regional challenges such as maritime domain awareness, supply chain resilience, climate change, food and energy security, and so on.
- Strategic Collaboration: Both countries recognise the importance of developing safe and resilient supply chains. They promote collaboration and cooperative activities in important fields such as clean energy, electric vehicles, semiconductors, aerospace, and defence.
- Space Cooperation: In the India-Australia collaboration, space cooperation has acquired relevance. Australia participates in India’s Gaganyaan Space Programme, and the International Space Investment Grants Programme promotes space sector collaboration.
- Educational Ties: With a big number of Indian students studying there, Australia is a popular destination for Indian students. Efforts are being made to address student mobility issues, visa backlogs, and research collaboration, with the goal of improving educational links between the two countries.
- People-to-People Connections: Cultural exchanges, diaspora connectivity, and people-to-people contacts are critical to the partnership’s success. Initiatives such as the building of a new consulate in Bengaluru and the development of an Australia-India relations centre in Sydney help to foster cultural ties.
- Economic Cooperation: The emphasis is on strengthening economic links and trading relationships. Efforts are being undertaken to expand the current trading partnership, with explicit targets set for 2030. To expand economic cooperation, discussions on a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Trade Agreement are now underway.
- Regional Stability: India and Australia, together with the other Quad countries, collaborate to ensure the Indo-Pacific region’s peace, stability, and prosperity. They deal with regional issues while maintaining a rule-based order.
- The India-Australia alliance is considered as a counterweight to China’s non-rules-based approach in the area. It fosters a free and open Indo-Pacific by providing strategic balance.
Opportunities for future collaboration and progress in the India-Australia partnership
- Trade and Investment: There is enormous opportunity for India and Australia to boost bilateral trade and investment. Technology, renewable energy, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing are all potential areas of collaboration for both countries. Initiatives such as the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) can help to improve trade and investment flows even further.
- Innovation and Technology: Opportunities for collaboration in innovation and technology-driven sectors exist due to India’s burgeoning tech ecosystem and Australia’s excellent research and development capabilities. Collaborations on joint research projects, technology transfer, and startup collaborations can all promote mutual growth and innovation.
- Defence and Security: India and Australia’s defence and security cooperation might be strengthened further. Joint military drills, defence equipment co-production, technology exchange, and intelligence cooperation are all possibilities. Collaboration can help with maritime security, counterterrorism, and regional stability.
- Education and Research: Opportunities for further collaboration exist in the education sector, including student exchanges, cooperative research programmes, and faculty exchanges. Strengthening academic linkages between institutions in both nations can improve cultural understanding and knowledge sharing.
- Climate Change and Sustainable Development: Both India and Australia face substantial problems in terms of sustainable development and climate change. Collaborative efforts in renewable energy, climate adaption, and environmental conservation can address common problems and encourage practises of sustainable development.
- Regional collaboration: India and Australia may use their partnership to strengthen regional engagement and collaboration in the Indo-Pacific area. They can promote a rules-based system, regional stability, and prosperity by cooperating in multilateral platforms such as the Quad, ASEAN, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the necessity of collaboration in health and biotechnology. Joint vaccine development, healthcare innovation, and disease prevention research can help to strengthen public health systems and contribute to global health security.
@the end
India and Australia have overcome previous misperceptions to form a promising cooperation with enormous promise in the twenty-first century. While Prime Minister Menzies’ choice in 1955 remains a relic of the past, India and Australia are determined to cultivating a robust and long-lasting partnership, confirming their positions as vital players in the global arena.
Source: https://www.icwa.in/show_content.php?lang=1&level=3&ls_id=7632&lid=5099