2+2 Dialogue - India-Australia

An update on the 2+2 Ministerial of India and Australia, 2021

 2+2 Dialogue - India-Australia

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• The story: In recent years, an interesting format of high-level inter-country dialogue has emerged - the 2+2. Recently, the foreign and defence ministers of India and Australia held the first India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi.
• First time: The inaugural dialogue was held after the elevation of India-Australia bilateral relations to comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP) during the India-Australia Leaders’ virtual summit in 2021.
• Focus on Indo-Pacific: The two commited to maintaining an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region (in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)). This will include support for India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative.
• Focus on Supply Chain Resilience Initiative: The two will work together through multilateral, regional and plurilateral mechanisms to diversify supply chains between trusted and reliable trading partners for critical health, technology and other goods and services. The launch of the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative by the Trade Ministers of India, Australia and Japan was welcomed.
• Shared vision on Afghanistan: The two showed a common approach to the Afghan crisis, after the recent Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. India held that the policy is summed up by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2593. The UNSC Resolution 2593 emphasises that Afghanistan must not allow its soil to be used in any manner by any body for terrorism.
• Fighting terrorism: The two will continue to work together on counter terrorism; countering of radicalization and on the proposed UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
• Cooperation on Covid-19: An agreement was reached to deepen cooperation in vaccine manufacturing, including under the Quad framework, and to deliver high quality vaccines to their Indo-Pacific partners.
• Defence relationship: Australia has invited India for participation in future Talisman Sabre exercises which will raise interoperability while both sides explore longer term reciprocal arrangements in logistics support.
• Economic agreements: There was renewed support expressed for finalization of bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. Both also pitched for early resolution of the issue of taxation of offshore income of Indian firms under the India Australia Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement.
• ‘2+2’ Dialogue: This is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries. It is a format of dialogue where the defence/foreign ministers or secretaries meet with their counterparts from another country. India holds such talks with Australia, Japan and the USA.
• Read full official statement here
• India-Australia relations: Over the past few years, China’s actions– including extensive island building in the South China Sea has heightened concerns in a number of countries around the world. This led to formation of Quad (India, Australia, Japan and US) grouping.

1. Bilateral naval exercise (AUSINDEX), Ex AUSTRA HIND (Bilateral Exercise with Army), EX PITCH BLACK (Australia’s multilateral air combat training exercise) and multilateral Malabar Exercise (comprising Quad countries)
2. The countries have signed the Mutual Logistic Support Arrangement (MLSA)
3. Both are members of the Quad, Commonwealth, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia Pacific Partnership on Climate and Clean Development, and have participated in the East Asia Summits. Both have cooperated as members of the Five Interested Parties (FIP) in the World Trade Organization context.

• EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain the key challenge for Indian policymakers, as far as kickstarting economic growth is concerned. (2) Analyse India's GDP from the multiple engines of growth perspective. (3) What three things can kickstart the demand engine of India? Explain.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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OFFICIAL MEA DOC ON INDIA AUSTRALIA RELATIONSHIP

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