Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived in India for a three- day visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries. The visit comes ahead of a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, another member of the so- called quadrangle grouping that seeks to fight China’s growing influence in the Indo- Pacific region.
Quadrangle includes the United States and India besides Australia and Japan. During the visit, the two countries are anticipated to consolidate their trade, investment, and defence relations. The two countries inked a free trade agreement called the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement( ECTA) last time, which incontinently reduced duty to zero on 96 of Indian exports to Australia in value and zero duty on 85 of Australia’s exports to India.
Still, accommodations for a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement have been stuck for over a decade. The accommodations proceeded in 2021, and Albanese’s visit is anticipated to give an occasion to quicken the ambitious deal.
Albanese will begin his visit in the western megacity of Ahmedabad in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, where the two leaders will attend the opening of the fourth and final justice test match between the two countries. He’ll also fly to Mumbai, where he’ll come the first foreign leader to be taken on board India’s indigenously produced aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on Thursday.
The Albanese- Modi addresses in New Delhi on Friday will be the first meeting of the periodic peak blazoned by the two countries last time. Trade, investment, defence, education, and force chains of critical minerals are important aspects of the relationship between the two countries. The business delegation traveling with Albanese will share in an Australia- India CEO Forum. The relationship between India and Australia is critical in the environment of Quad.
Last week, quadrangle foreign ministers met in Delhi and, without naming China, denounced the increased pressures in the South and East China swell, and the militarisation of the disputed homes in the area. The four Quad processions are listed to come together in August for the periodic Malabar nonmilitary wargaming exercise, to be hosted by Australia for the first time.
According to Navdeep Suri, a former Indian high commissioner to Australia, “The Quad is now emerging as a pretty significant voice to counter the threat that we perceive. “Working together becomes important if we are to reduce our dependence on China and the dependence of the world on China.”
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