External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles on Wednesday in New Delhi. The leaders took part in the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In a post on X, Jaishankar expressed his pleasure at meeting Marles and noted that his presence at the event highlights the significant progress in bilateral relations. He also mentioned that they discussed global issues and matters of mutual interest.

In another post, Jaishankar said he was glad to join Marles at the Australian High Commission to mark five years of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. During his speech, Jaishankar congratulated Marles and his colleagues on their election success and appreciated Marles’ visit to India early in his second term, just as he did at the start of his first term. He reflected on the remarkable growth in India-Australia relations over the past five years, describing the partnership as transformed across many areas.

Jaishankar recalled that a decade ago, it would have been hard to imagine Australia becoming one of India’s closest political allies, strongest security partners, or having a Free Trade Agreement and strong educational ties with Indian universities. Yet, today, these achievements mark five years of the partnership. He attributed the success of this ‘Mateship’ or ‘Dosti’ to strong leadership, mutual trust, and respect between the two countries. He highlighted an example of solidarity when Australia promptly offered support after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reaching out to Prime Minister Modi despite his intense election campaign.

Jaishankar outlined various mechanisms set up to deepen cooperation, including Annual Summits with frequent Prime Minister meetings, 2+2 Foreign and Defence Minister dialogues, and joint commissions on trade, skills, education, and energy. He emphasized that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership reflects real, productive cooperation on the ground.

He also mentioned agreements like the ECTA Trade Agreement, the Mobility and Migration Partnership, Work and Holiday visa program, the MATES program, mutual recognition of educational qualifications, and the transformation in defence and energy sectors. Jaishankar noted the strong Indian-Australian community of about one million people, serving as a unique bridge between the nations.

In conclusion, Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s commitment to advancing the partnership further. He pointed to future cooperation in areas like critical minerals, cyber technology, space, sports, and multilateral platforms such as the Quad, East Asia Summit, Indian Ocean Rim Association, United Nations, and the trilateral grouping with France. He expressed optimism about the progress over the past five years and looked forward to many more years of strong ties.