Jaishankar meets Australian counterpart Penny Wong for Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue in Canberra

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was welcomed by Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra, for the 15th India-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue on Tuesday.

The visit today included a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony with Senator Penny Wong, followed by the Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue.

“Australia and India are close partners with strong strategic, economic and community ties. It is significant to note that almost one million Australians trace their heritage to India,” the Australian foreign ministry stated in a press release, adding that the two countries share a vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is “peaceful, stable and prosperous.”

Ahead of 2025, which will mark the fifth year of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of the two countries, the Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue served as an opportunity to take stock of the progress India and Australia have made, and to chart the way forward for the next phase in our relationship, it added.

Minister Jaishankar and Minister Wong discussed advancing cooperation in important sectors such as science and technology, clean energy, trade and investment, and deepening defence and maritime security engagement.

“India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy and is on track to be the third largest by the end of the decade. India is thus an essential partner for Australia as the latter is set to diversify its trade links and secure its supply chains,” the release further stated.

The two leaders will also attend ‘Raisina Down Under’, the Australian iteration of India’s Raisina Dialogue on November 5-6.

The Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the international community. Thus, it is an important forum to share views on the trends shaping our region.

The visit by Jaishankar is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and discussing key issues of mutual interest. The Foreign Minister also interacted with Australian Parliamentarians and guests, providing an opportunity for further engagement and collaboration.

The meeting between EAM Jaishankar and Minister Wong was their 19th meeting and is set to give a fillip to the India-Australia relationship, the MEA stated.