INDIA-AUSTRALIA RELATIONS

Recently, India and Australia reviewed cooperation in the sectors of agriculture and defence.

Important points:

• The India-Australia Grains Partnership aims to use Australia’s expertise in post harvest management to strengthen rural grain storage and supply chains so as to reduce losses and wastage.
• National Institute of Agricultural Marketing will be the nodal organisation from India.
• The flagship program of National Innovation for Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) was mentioned and collaboration could be set up with the research organisations of Australia.
• NICRA is a network project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched in February 2011.
• The project aims to enhance the resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and climate vulnerability through strategic research and technology demonstration.
• The research on adaptation and mitigation covers crops, livestock, fisheries, and natural resource management.

Defence Cooperation:

• Participation of Australia in Exercise Malabar.
• After the Ladakh confrontation, India extended the invitation to Australia and an Australian contingent participated in the 2020 Malabar exercises.
• Various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives like AUSINDEX, Mutual Logistic Support Arrangement (MLSA) and Defence Science & Technology Implementing Arrangement (DSTIA) were reviewed.
• Expressed an intent to convene the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue at the earliest.
• 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is a format of dialogue where the defense and foreign ministers meet with their counterparts from another country. It is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries.

India-Australia Ties:

• On the Covid-19 front, Australia has sent oxygen, ventilators and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to India as part of an immediate support package.
• The trade Ministers of India, Japan and Australia have formally launched the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI).
• Recently, India-Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE) was organised.
• Both countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and signed multiple defence agreements in 2020.
• India and Australia co-operate in various multilateral fora.
• Australia supports India’s candidature in an expanded UN Security Council.
• Both India and Australia 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 countries have also been cooperating as members of the Five Interested Parties (FIP) in the World Trade Organization context.
• Australia is an important player in Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and supports India’s membership of the organisation.
• A Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between the two countries was signed in September 2014.
• The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and the Extradition Treaty between India and Australia, which were signed in June 2008, have been ratified by both the Governments.
• Both sides are also likely to explore other options such as a closer intelligence relationship, and in other areas such as high technology and outer space.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT