India is a top-tier security partner, and we require an open Indo-Pacific: PM of Australia

The goal of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s first visit to India since taking office in May of last year is to deepen bilateral ties in the areas of economics, clean energy, education, and defence.

Albanese’s visit comes days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to India last week, and 10 days before Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit between March 19 and 21.

Put together, this marks the visits by all the Quad member countries to India, days after the Foreign Ministers of the Quad grouping met in New Delhi last week.

While Albanese’s visit began with cricket diplomacy in Ahmedabad on Thursday, officials said Australia will host military operations in August with India, Japan, and the United States in the ‘Malabar’ exercises off the coast of Perth. Australia has also invited India to participate in the Talisman Sabre exercises, a major operation for the Australian Defence Force, later this year.

“India is a top-tier security partner for Australia. The Indian Ocean is critical to the security and prosperity of both countries. And there has never been such a strong strategic alignment in either of our countries’ histories. “We both rely on free and open access to Indo-Pacific sea lanes for our trade and economic well-being,” he said on board the INS Vikrant.

“And we share an unwavering commitment to upholding the rules-based international order and ensuring the Indo-Pacific is open, inclusive and prosperous,” he said.

Albanese will be holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi Friday.

As part of General Rawat Australia-India Young Defence Officers’ Exchange Programme, instituted in honour of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, a 15-member Australian contingent, including four women officers from the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force, visited the Agra-based Shatrujeet Brigade along with 15 selected Indian officers from the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force Thursday.

The Indian and Australian officers were taken through a series of training demonstrations related to fighting in built-up areas by paratroopers of the elite formation during the visit.

The two sides will also take stock of the implementation of the Economic Cooperation Trade Agreement (ECTA), which entered into force December 2022.