Australian Prime Minister’s visit to India

The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, paid a State Visit to India. This was Albanese’s first visit to India in his current role. During the visit, PM Modi and PM Albanese held the Annual Summit to discuss areas of cooperation under the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Strategic Partnership between the two countries was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in June 2020.

Details –

During this visit, PM Albanese and PM Modi participated in the 1st India-Australia Annual Summit. This was the first Annual Summit between India and Australia at the level of the Leaders. The summit mechanism itself was established as an outcome of the 2nd Virtual Summit that was held in March 2022.

Other highlights of this visit –

• Cricket Diplomacy — PM Modi and PM Albanese went to the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, where India and Australia were playing the fourth test match of the Border-Gavaskar series.
• Business Delegation —
  • • The Australian prime minister brought with him a huge delegation of business leaders.
    • This assumes significance as the business relations between the two countries have not taken off fully.
      • Australian businesses have mainly concentrated on China, which buys about a third of Australia’s exports.
      • Despite concerns about China, Australia’s economy is closely tied to that country.
      • Australia is now trying to wean its economy away from China.
• First foreign leader to visit INS Vikrant — During the current visit, PM Albanese became the first foreign leader to visit INS Vikrant, India’s locally built aircraft carrier. While visiting INS Vikrant, Albanese said: For Australia, India is a top security partner.
• Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) —
  • • India and Australia discussed the finalisation of a CECA.
    • CECA is aimed at upgrading an interim trade deal finalised last year in the form of Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA).
      • The entry into force of ECTA (entered into force December 2022) eliminated tariffs on more than 85% of Australian exports to India.
    • The two also decided to move ahead with negotiations on a migration and mobility pact to benefit students and professionals.
      • India and Australia recently finalised a mechanism for recognising each other’s educational qualifications.
      • In this context, the mobility agreement will benefit students, workers and professionals.
• India was invited to join the Talisman Sabre exercises — Australia invited India to join the Talisman Sabre exercises later this year, a major operation for the Australian Defence Force.
• General Rawat Australia-India Young Defence Officers’ Exchange Programme — As part of General Rawat Australia-India Young Defence Officers’ Exchange Programme, a 15-member Australian contingent, visited the Agra-based Military establishment. This programme was instituted in honour of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat.