Monday morning saw the arrival of Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in the nation’s capital for the second India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. At New Delhi’s Air Force Station, Palam, she received a hearty welcome. “We extend a hearty welcome to Australian Senator @SenatorWong, who is in New Delhi to co-chair the 14th Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue and the 2nd India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. An extensive discussion agenda encompassing multiple aspects of the partnership between Australia and India is anticipated, as stated by MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on X (formerly Twitter).
Richard Marles, the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Minister of Defence, has already traveled to India for the two-plus-two talks. The conversation between the two Australian leaders and their Indian counterparts, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, will be co-chaired by Singh. Prior to this, Marles had declared, “Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is one of practical, tangible actions that directly benefit the Indo-Pacific region. India is a top-tier security partner for Australia.”
Further noting that this year has seen a number of firsts in the India-Australia defence relationship, including an Indian submarine visit to Perth and Australia’s hosting of Exercise Malabar, Marles added that all this demonstrates the growing closeness of both nation’s defence and security partnerships, according to the Australian Foreign Ministry.