Australia India Institute hosts India’s External Affairs Minister
Minister Jaishankar engaged in an hour-long public conversation event with Australia India Institute’s CEO the Hon Lisa Singh on ‘Australia India Partnership in the Indo-Pacific’ and took questions from the floor packed with indulging audience.
“At the end of the day, the relationships between countries are those of peoples,” he told the audience.
“So when I see a University like yours that has so many linkages with Indian Institutions, to me, this is really part of the change that is happening”.
The Institute’s CEO the Hon Lisa Singh said the discussion was timely, given the elevated status of the QUAD and the focus of the Melbourne meeting on peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
“India has become vibrantly engaged in the Indo Pacific’s geopolitical and economic architecture through its Act East approach,” Ms Singh said. Ms Singh also launched the Institute’s India Matters program during the event.
“India Matters is an exciting program the Institute will offer through interviews, policy briefs, analysis and reviews with experts, on why India matters to Australia and the world,” Ms Singh said.
“At the Institute we are dedicated to promoting support for and understanding of the Australia-India relationship through our three program areas of security and geopolitics, bilateral economy, and cultural diplomacy.”
Jaishankar had arrived in Melbourne from Fiji. Prior to the meeting with PM Albanese, he had spoken at the Sydney Business Breakfast event, in which he had stressed the “crucial” India-Australia partnership. Dr Jaishankar spoke of the need for the QUAD to play a greater role in security of the Indo-Pacific region. “India and Australia are on-track. Bilaterally, our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership sets the framework and the ECTA will turbocharge the relationship. Regular contacts are helping,” he said, as per a PTI report. “In a changing global scenario, India and Australia are forging a crucial partnership and the contributions of all stakeholders is appreciated,” he added.
“A bullish economic scenario today in India and positive investment climate a result of decisions taken during difficult times. Make in India, Invent in India, PLIs, Gati Shakti are all going strong. Economic confidence is seen in our ability to create, collaborate & manufacture,” Jaishankar tweeted.
Key takeaways from Dr. Jaishankar’s address during breakfast event –
- How India is turning itself as the choicest options available to various manufacturers and large scale production companies by improvising business regulations and making it a better and efficient place.
- How the infrastructure is bound to grow all over the country due to consolidated and massive growth plans across the country.
- Plans of inviting Australian Universities to impart Skilled knowledge on Indian grounds due in future.
- Inviting Australian investment to benefit from enormously growing consumer power that can be foreseen in India over the period of next 20-25 years.
- Geopolitical, bilateral trade, defense, air connectivity, working on upskilling manpower, industrial development, Make In India, Invent in India, digitalization on massive scale, 5G technology are few of the most researched areas that the Indian government is working on and hence the country is a promising destination for major FIIs.
This is the Foreign Minister’s third Australian visit in the past year — he visited Melbourne last year to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and attended the 13th India-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue (FMFD) in October.
“It was wonderful to meet with @DrSJaishankar this morning ahead of my trip to India next month. We discussed our strategic partnership, economic opportunities and the people-to-people ties that enrich our nations,” Anthony Albanese tweeted.
While Minister Jaishankar added “India and Australia are on-track. Bilaterally, our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership sets the framework and the ECTA will turbocharge the relationship. Regular contacts are helping,” he said, as per a PTI report. “In a changing global scenario, India and Australia are forging a crucial partnership and the contributions of all stakeholders is appreciated,”
Indicating and hinting towards the evolving and strengthening of Australia-India bilateral relationship is a key part of this. It holds great promise and cause for optimism.
Here is a link to Dr. Jaishankar’s address during the breakfast event –
