India and Australia stralia have recognised that the strategic Indo-Pacific area is being “reshaped” each economically and strategically, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong mentioned on Monday, underling that the partnership with India is a “critical part” of shaping the area, amidst China‘s aggressive posturing. Wong mentioned throughout a press convention on Monday with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who arrived in Canberra from New Zealand.
“Australia and India are comprehensive strategic partners. We are QUAD partners. We partner in many other ways and most fundamentally, we share a region, the Indo-Pacific region and between our countries, we span a great breadth of the Indo-Pacific,” she mentioned after each minister held thirteenth Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue.
The Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue contains India, the US, Japan and Australia.
“With our own areas of deep connection and expertise. We’ve got a shared interest and we share an ambition and that is our region is stable, prosperous and respectful of sovereignty, where countries are not required to choose sides, but make their own sovereign choices. We don’t want to see any one country dominating or any country being dominated,” she added.
India, the US and a number of other different world powers have been speaking about the necessity to guarantee a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific within the backdrop of China’s rising army manoeuvring within the area.
China claims practically the entire disputed South China Sea, although Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all declare components of it. Beijing has constructed synthetic islands and army installations within the South China Sea.
She additionally mentioned that “we both recognise our region is being reshaped, economically and strategically. And I think our partnership is a demonstration that we understand that this period of change is best navigated together.”
“We can only build and sustain the region we want by working with others, including by working in partnership with India and for Australia, this partnership is a critical part of shaping the region we want.”
After concluding his first-ever go to to New Zealand, Jaishankar acquired a “Tiranga welcome” in Canberra.
“Arrived in Canberra to a Tiranga welcome. So happy to see the old Parliament House of Australia in our national colours,” he tweeted. This is his second go to to Australia. The first go to was in February 2022.