India and Australia signalled their intent to increase cooperation in defence, trade, and professional mobility on Friday in NEW DELHI, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns about recent assaults on temples with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.

After participating in the first annual India-Australia Summit, Modi and Albanese announced that the two countries were advancing with a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) to upgrade an interim trade deal concluded last year and a migration and mobility pact that will benefit students and professionals.

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During a joint media interaction following their discussions, Modi described security cooperation as a crucial pillar of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership and stated that the two sides discussed maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and ways to enhance bilateral security and defence cooperation.

Albanese stated that both parties are committed to strengthening the defence and security partnership in order to resolve shared challenges and advance an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Modi stated that he conveyed India’s concern regarding recent assaults on Australian temples.

In recent weeks, the Indian side has repeatedly raised this issue with the Australian government in response to incidents involving pro-Khalistan groups.

“It is concerning that there have been frequent reports of attacks on temples in Australia over the past few weeks. It is only natural that such news would cause great concern and distress in India,” Modi said in Hindi.

“I communicated our views and concerns to Prime Minister Albanese. He has assured me that the Indian community’s safety is a top priority for him. Our teams will remain in regular contact and cooperate as necessary regarding this matter, he added.

Albanese, who will return to India in September for the G20 Summit, has also extended an invitation to Modi to attend the Quad Leaders Summit in Australia in May.

Three agreements on cooperation in athletics, audio-visual co-production, and the mandate for an India-Australia solar task force were also signed. In addition, they signed a letter of intent for cooperation between the Atal Innovation Mission of India and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Australia.

Albanese arrived in Ahmedabad on March 8 for a three-day visit. Besides participating in Holi celebrations on Wednesday, he joined Modi to witness the first day of the final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Thursday.

In Mumbai, Albanese and the high-powered business delegation that accompanied him met with prominent Indian Executives. He also visited the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in the waters off Bombay and announced that Australia will host the annual Malabar naval exercise between the navies of India, Japan, and the United States this year.

During the joint media interaction, Modi remarked that the two countries had signed a number of significant defense-related agreements in recent years, including one on the exchange of logistical support between their armed forces. According to him, both parties also discussed methods to enhance the regular exchange of intelligence between security agencies.

Modi stated that the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) signed last year has improved trade and investment opportunities for both countries. He added, “Our experts are working on CECA.”

Albanese stated that the ECTA eliminated tariffs on more than 85 percent of Australian exports to India, thereby benefiting consumers and providing affordable inputs to industry, and he is optimistic that the CECA will be finalised this year.

“We also agreed to conclude our ambitious CECA as quickly as possible, and I am optimistic that we will be able to do so this year. This transformative agreement will realise the full potential of the bilateral economic relationship, creating new employment opportunities and raising the standard of living for the people of both Australia and India, according to Albanese.

The two parties have also finalised a mechanism for mutual recognition of educational credentials, which will benefit students. “Progress is being made on a mobility agreement. This will benefit pupils, workers, and professionals, as stated by Modi.

Albanese applauds the new agreement to facilitate the mutual recognition of educational credentials and has expressed a desire to expand the presence of Australian universities in India.

“I am also delighted to announce that significant progress has been made on a new migration and mobility partnership arrangement. This arrangement will promote and support the mobility of students, graduates, academic researchers, businesspeople, and other professionals from emerging and high-tech sectors, both now and in the future, while also enhancing cooperation on irregular migration issues, he explained.

The next time we meet in Australia, we hope to have more to say about this new initiative, he said.

Cooperation in green and renewable energy, particularly solar and green hydrogen, and collaboration within the Quad were also discussed.

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The visiting prime minister noted that India and Australia conducted more exercises, operations, and dialogues than ever before in 2017. India and Australia deployed Maritime Patrol Aircraft to each other’s territories for the first time, he said, marking a significant move forward in their bilateral relationship.

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“We conducted increasingly complex and sophisticated Indo-Pacific Endeavour and Austrahind exercises in November alone,” said Anthony Albanese.

“I am pleased to formally proclaim, aboard the majestic INS Vikrant, that later this year Australia will host Exercise Malabar for the first time, and India will participate in Australia’s Talisman Sabre exercise for the first time,” he said.

Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff, welcomed Anthony Albanese aboard the Vikrant with a Vigil of Honor.

The Australian prime minister stated that his government is committed to placing India at the centre of Australia’s Indo-Pacific and beyond strategy.

“But arguably what elevates defence relationships to new heights is the resolve and foresight of those who see the relationship not only as it is, but also as it could be. Prime Minister Modi is one of these individuals “he said.

Anthony Albanese stated that the strategic significance of the India-Australia partnership is growing and that the two nations have never before had such a firm strategic alignment.

The bilateral defence and security partnership has never been busier or more productive, and 2023 will be “busier than ever” in this area, he added.

Andy Vermaut shares:Australia To Host Malabar Exercise, Says Australian PM Aboard INS Vikrant: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that his country will host Exercise Malabar, a naval drill involving Australia,… https://t.co/3XpJwEvbYF Thank you. pic.twitter.com/WOJaEZjPCi

— Andy Vermaut (@AndyVermaut) March 9, 2023

Albanese noted that both countries depend on free and open access to Indo-Pacific sea lanes for commerce and economic prosperity, and that India and Australia share an unwavering commitment to upholding the rules-based international order and guaranteeing an open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

Notably, the Indo-Pacific region has witnessed a growing assertiveness from China.

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Anthony Albanese, speaking about the Australia-India General Rawat Defence Officer Exchange Programme, stated that this initiative by Prime Minister Modi will ensure that the defence personnel of the two nations develop familiarity and trust, which are the foundations of a close and enduring relationship.

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The Australian Prime Minister arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday evening (March 8), where he and Prime Minister Modi will watch the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match today.

India-Australia Annual Summit:

According to an official release, the first in-person India-Australia Annual Summit will take place during Albanese’s visit. At the Annual Summit, leaders assess the progress made on various India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership initiatives. The summit paves the way for new initiatives and enhanced cooperation between India and Australia in a variety of sectors.

The Summit was first held virtually on June 4, 2020, according to the press release. The visit follows a series of high-level engagements and an exchange of ministerial visits between the two sides in 2022 and 2023. The last visit by an Australian PM (Malcolm Turnbull) to India was in 2017.

Australian PM Visit:

Albanese arrived at Ahmedabad airport in the evening on Wednesday and proceeded directly to the Sabarmati Ashram in the city to pay his respects to Mahatma Gandhi, who resided at the Ashram during India’s independence struggle. Albanese also attended a cultural event organised by the Gujarati government at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar for the Holi festival.

At Raj Bhavan, the Australian Prime Minister will be joined by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Governor Acharya Devvrat, and other dignitaries. On Wednesday, PM Albanese attended an event hosted by an Australian university at a hotel.

India-fourth Australia’s test match:

Both prime ministers will attend the opening day of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, today. After a few hours of watching the match, they would leave. Neeraj Badgujar, Additional Commissioner of Police, Sector 1, stated that more than 3,000 police officers have been deployed to the stadium and surrounding areas of Ahmedabad in anticipation of a massive influx of spectators for the cricket match.

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“On March 9, the Test match at the Narendra Modi Stadium will be watched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Australia. Police have already completed all security-related arrangements. We have deployed nearly 200 police officers and 3,000 policemen to secure the stadium and other locations “Badgujar spoke to the media.

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