India-Australia must leverage QUAD for regional, mutual benefits: FM Wong says talks to advance Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

New Delhi [India], November 20 (ANI): India and Australia should leverage their bilateral and multilateral institutions, including the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), to strengthen their mutual and regional cooperation, Australian Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong said on Thursday.

During her opening remarks at the 16th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Wong noted that the talks will also focus on advancing the next phase of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

The Foreign Minister highlighted the deep and longstanding ties between the two nations, emphasising that the partnership should benefit both countries, their peoples, and the wider Indo-Pacific region. This is also the 26th meeting between the two counterparts.

"Our two nations have never been closer, and in many ways, our partnership has never been more consequential. We see this partnership as critical and weighty in its own terms, bilaterally, but also as crucial for the region. You are a leading power, and we are comprehensive strategic partners who share a vision of a peaceful, stable, prosperous Indo-Pacific," Wong said.

"We want to leverage that partnership for the benefit of both countries, for both our peoples, and for our region. And we want to use all the tools at our disposal in doing that, and that includes bilateral, but also the QUAD and multilateral institutions. I often speak about our region being reshaped, and what I would say to you is, in that reshaping, Australia remains India's reliable partner," she added.

The Australian minister noted the convergence of strategic alignments, growing economic ties, and expanding educational links, including the establishment of six Australian universities in India.

She also acknowledged the Indian-Australian community as Australia's fastest-growing diaspora, reflecting the strong people-to-people connections between the two countries.

"Our strategic alignments are converging, our economic ties are deepening, and our educational ties are growing exponentially. We will have six Australian universities in India. And it is through the multitude of connections of our people. Indian-Australians are our fastest-growing diaspora community and we are very, very proud of it," she noted.

"We do live in a sharper and more competitive world, and we know we will be better off pursuing shared responses and shared challenges. In this, we are partners, reliable partners, and in this discussion, we can chart the next phase of our comprehensive strategic partnership," Wong added.

The Australian Foreign Minister arrived in the national capital on Wednesday to co-chair the 16th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated in a post on X that it offers a significant opportunity to advance the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

India and Australia celebrated the fifth anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in June 2025.

The agreement was signed in 2020 during the India-Australia Leaders' Virtual Summit, participated in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then-Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison.

The partnership has seen enhanced defence cooperation with more joint exercises, the signing of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement and progress toward a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, and strengthened education ties with nearly 140,000 Indian students in Australia in 2024 and the establishment of Australian branch campuses in India.

Additionally, a Renewable Energy Partnership was launched to support India's goal of 10 million solar rooftops by 2030, and cultural and people-to-people links were deepened through initiatives such as the Centre for Australia-India Relations. The partnership spans multiple sectors, including science and technology, clean energy, agriculture, and skills development, reflecting a shared vision for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region. (ANI)

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