Highlights
- Foreign Minister Marise Payne made a statement on the importance of Australia’s relationship with India in the Parliament
- Australia and India signed a comprehensive strategic partnership on June 4
- Minister Payne hailed the contribution of Indian diaspora in Australia
Following Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s virtual summit with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, Minister Payne told the Senate the two countries had elevated their bilateral relationship to a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ (CSP) and that Australia ‘will work more closely than ever with India’.
“Last week Prime Ministers Morrison and Modi, held a virtual summit—India's first. It was a landmark moment in the ties between our nations,” Minister Payne said.
“Australia and India agreed, and announced, that we will elevate our relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership underpinned by democratic principles, the shared promotion of the rules-based international order and the preservation of an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” she said in a reply to Senator Eric Abetz’s question.
Minister Payne who was present alongside the Prime Minister during the virtual summit told the Parliament that Australia had signed eight important deals with India.
“In addition to the CSP text itself, we've signed eight substantive agreements that will strengthen technical cooperation and create new opportunities for Australian businesses. We'll work more closely than ever with India to build our ties in mining and critical minerals, in vocational education, training, water resources, public administration, science and technology and defence,” she said.
“The Defence Minister, Minister Reynolds, and I are very pleased that we've also agreed to foreign and defence minister two- plus-two meetings at least every two years. Australia is just the third country to join such meetings with India, along with Japan and the United States.”
Minister Payne also hailed the contribution of the Indian diaspora in Australia, especially in Western Sydney.
Source: SBS Radio
“Our partnership is grounded in strong people-to-people links and the invaluable contribution of Indian migrants to modern Australia. As a proud resident of Western Sydney, I can tell you that Harris Park wouldn't be the same without the contribution of our Western Sydney Indian community and so many vibrant members of the Indian diaspora in Australia,” she added.
Latest figures released by the ABS reveal the Indian population in Australia has grown to 660,000 in 2019.
India has been Australia’s biggest source of migrants since 2016.
The trend has also resulted in Indian migrants being the top source of new Australian citizens. Over 28,000 Indian nationals became Australian citizens last year.
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