India and Australia have unveiled a wide-ranging package of agreements covering defence, energy, cyber technologies, critical minerals and trade following the Annual Leaders’ Summit in Melbourne…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday announced a series of new agreements spanning defence, security, energy, critical minerals, cyber technologies and trade following their Annual Leaders’ Summit in Melbourne, as both countries reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The two leaders issued a joint statement and unveiled a Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation, while also agreeing to accelerate negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and a bilateral investment treaty.
Welcoming Prime Minister Modi to Melbourne, Albanese described India as one of Australia’s closest partners and said bilateral ties had reached their strongest point.
“Prime Minister Modi, you are a true friend of Australia, and it has been a great honour to host you for our Annual Leaders Summit today,” Albanese said.
Highlighting the growth in relations, he added, “Australia and India are close partners and even closer friends. Six years into our comprehensive strategic partnership, Australia’s relationship with India has never been more consequential than it is today. Our partnership has never been stronger.”
Albanese said the summit had produced several landmark outcomes aimed at strengthening cooperation across multiple sectors.
“Prime Minister Modi and I have released a Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation to deepen our practical partnership. Australia values India as a top-tier security partner, and the Declaration reflects our shared commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
The Australian Prime Minister also announced that both countries had endorsed a Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap and agreed to establish a new Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains.
In the energy sector, Albanese confirmed the signing of an administrative arrangement to operationalise uranium exports to India under the 2015 Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.
“Today we can confirm the signing of the administrative arrangement to enable uranium exports to India for peaceful purposes under the 2015 Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement,” he said.
He added that the arrangement would support India’s clean energy transition while creating opportunities for Australia’s resources sector.
Albanese also announced continued cooperation on critical minerals, support for India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme through a temporary space tracking terminal on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and progress on cultural repatriation initiatives between the two countries.
Addressing the joint media statement, Prime Minister Modi thanked Albanese for the welcome extended to him and his delegation and acknowledged his role in strengthening bilateral relations.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my friend, Prime Minister Albanese, for the grand welcome and warm hospitality extended to me and my delegation in Melbourne. Thanks to his personal efforts and to his commitment, India-Australia relations have attained new heights and acquired breadth and depth as well,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister said the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership had made significant progress in recent years, particularly following the implementation of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement signed in 2022.
“The Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement signed in 2022 has consistently broadened the scope of our trade and investment. We have now decided to work at a fast pace on a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement – that is CECA. An agreement that will be balanced, ambitious and win-win for both countries,” he said.
PM Modi also welcomed the agreement on nuclear energy cooperation.
“We have signed an important agreement today on nuclear energy. This will pave the way for uranium supplies from Australia to India and give our clean energy objectives fresh momentum,” he said.
Highlighting collaboration in emerging technologies and strategic sectors, PM Modi said both countries had launched the Australia-India Partnership on Advanced Cyber and Critical Technologies and Supply Chains.
“Our cooperation in critical minerals is important for our strategic security and clean energy transition… Together we will also work on a critical minerals corridor,” he said.
On regional security, the Prime Minister said both countries remained committed to strengthening coordination in the Indo-Pacific.
“Today we have released an important joint declaration to increase coordination between our armies… Our maritime security collaboration roadmap will infuse new strength into our shared efforts in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
PM Modi also reiterated the shared commitment of India and Australia to combating terrorism.
“Both India and Australia believe that terrorism is a serious challenge not just for one single country, but for entire humanity. And that is why our fight against terrorism is shared, and our resolve is unbreakable,” PM Modi said.
Concluding his remarks, the Prime Minister drew on Melbourne’s reputation as Australia’s sporting capital to describe the evolving partnership.
“The agenda is focused like a one-day match. Decisions are quick like a T20 match. And partnership is long-term and intense like a test match,” he remarked.
The summit concluded with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to expanding cooperation across defence, trade, energy, technology, maritime security and people-to-people ties, while reinforcing their shared vision for a secure, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
