Concluding a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with India is the Australian Government’s top bilateral priority said Australian Defence Minister Kevin Andrews. His India visit comes close on the heels of the first bilateral naval exercise between India and Australia later this month.
“Australia is committed to fulfilling the objective of Prime Ministers Tony Abbott and Narendra Modi to conclude a CECA by the end of 2015. Australia and India are natural economic partners and a mutually beneficial, high quality agreement will help unlock the potential of the already strong Australia-India relationship,” Mr. Andrews said speaking at the Institute of Defence and Security Analysis on Wednesday.
On its part, India has called on Australia to speed up implementation of the nuclear deal signed in September last year. This was conveyed to Mr. Andrews by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in their meeting on Tuesday. The deal has been delayed pending approval by the Australian Parliament. India is keen to import Uranium for its nuclear reactors from Australia, which holds close to 40 percent of the known global reserves.
Stating that Australia recognises India’s “critical role” in the stability of the Indian Ocean region Mr. Andrew said there is scope for greater cooperation on global issues as India is a “strategic partner”. “Australia recognises India’s critical role in supporting the security, stability and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region and the stability of a wider, rulesbased global order.”
India and Australia will hold conduct naval exercises, AUSINDEX, off Visakhapatnam coast on the East coast in which about 400 Australian Naval personnel are expected to participate. Australia is sending an anti-submarine reconnaissance aircraft, a Collins-class submarine, a tanker, and a frigate for the exercise. The exercises come at a time of increased Chinese forays into the Indian Ocean which is a common concern for both countries.
With China clearly in sight, Mr. Andrew called for greater cooperation in the Indian Ocean region through various multilateral fora and expressed interest in quadrilateral exercises along with the US and Japan which in the past had generated a strong Chinese reaction.
In line with that, Australia has invited India to participate in the Pitch Black 16 multilateral Air Force exercises as also the Australian Army Skill at Arms Meeting, a soldiering competition, and the biennial PIRAP JABIRU peacekeeping Exercise. India is, however, yet respond to the Pitch Black exercise.
Observing that both countries have a shared interest in the maintenance of freedom of navigation and trade, Mr. Andrews called on China to be clear of its intentions in the region.
“It is important to recognise that all states have a right under international law to freedom of overflight in international airspace. All countries should respect this,” he said in a reference to the Air Defence Identification Zone imposed by China in the East China Sea and added “China has to be more clear on what its strategic intentions are”.
