For both Australia and India, China is the biggest trading partner, and China is our “biggest security anxiety”, said Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, making the opening remarks at the 2+2 dialogue on Monday. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said this is a partnership which is “consequential for us, but it is crucial for our region.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said there is consensus on both sides that a strong India-Australia partnership will augur well, “not just for the usual benefit of both our countries but also for the overall peace, security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.” Defence in particular has become one of the “most important pillars” of the strategic partnership, Mr. Singh noted, to which Mr. Marles concurred, and said it is very much part of the “bedrock” of the bilateral relationship.
Noting that the bilateral relationship has certainly grown rapidly, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said it also has larger implications for the region and a “lot of other countries look to us and to our relationship in many ways as a factor of stability and security.” This, he said, happened at a time when there is increasing uncertainty in the world. “We are seeing sharper polarisation, deeper stresses and today it is important to ensure that the routine is there for the region to feel safer...”
