India, Australia step up partnership, military relations to zoom after logistics pact

NEW DELHI: India and Australia have stepped up bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and have concluded nine arrangements including Mutual Logistics Support for their militaries amid China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a significant development, the two sides also announced a Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region that would result in enhanced cooperation in the maritime domain.

The long anticipated pact for sharing of military logistics will strongly step up cooperation and will give Indian warships and aircraft enhanced reach towards the Pacific. India has similar arrangements with US and France which enables easy resupply and fueling of military assets at each others bases around the world.

At the first ever virtual bilateral summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he believed that it was the “perfect time and perfect opportunity” to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

“India-Australia relations have deepened. And this depth comes from our shared values, shared interests, shared geography and shared objectives… How our relations become a ‘factor of stability’ for our region and for the world, how we work together for global good – all these aspects need to be considered,” Modi said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called India a “trusted friend of Australia” and a “pioneer in technology.” “India has been a positive force in these trying times and our relationship with India is a natural one. The time has come for broader and deeper ties. India has been a pioneer in technology - an area that is key today and will be so in future,” he said.

Officials indicated that the military logistics sharing pact would lead to more joint exercises, training missions and possible operations in the future as the situation demands. This could also open up the possibility of Australia slowly re-joining the Malabar series of naval wargames – the largest military exercises India participates in annually with the US and Japan.

The Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation had an indirect but clear message to Beijing, whose belligerence in the South China Sea region has rattled several countries. “India and Australia have an enduring interest in a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. They have a shared interest in ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region, and maintaining open, safe and efficient sea lanes for transportation and communication,” according to the shared vision.

The two sides signed an implementing arrangement for growing collaboration between the defence science and technology research organisations of both countries.

They signed a Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation and an MOU on cooperation in the field of mining and processing of critical and strategic minerals. India plans to import strategic minerals from Australia while diversifying supplies beyond China.

The widening of the Indo-Australian strategic partnership is also significant amid the standoff at the Line of Actual Control between India and China as it could send a message to Beijing.

On the South China Sea region, both countries made it clear that they support a rules-based maritime order that is based on respect for sovereignty and international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, echoing the views of many SE Asian states and countries in the region.

“India and Australia have common concerns regarding the strategic, security and environmental challenges in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain… India and Australia will work closely to develop, with all interested partners, the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 14th East Asia Summit on 4 November 2019 at Bangkok,” according to the shared vision.

In a message to Pakistan, the two countries strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds.

“Consistent with resolutions of the United Nations and the 2015 G20 Statement on the Fight against Terrorism, both sides support a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, including by countering violent extremism, preventing radicalisation to terrorism, stemming recruitment, preventing the movement of terrorists including foreign terrorist fighters, disruption of financial support to terrorists, countering incitement to commit terrorist acts and facilitating the investigation and prosecution of terrorist acts,” according to the joint statement.