Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed on his tour to New Delhi on Friday that Australia and India have made “significant and ambitious” efforts to improve their economic and security cooperation and that India is a “top-tier security partner.”
He told reporters, “We are partners and strengthening that relationship each and every day.
Prior to their meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he made the remark.
According to Albanese, Australia and India have agreed to expedite the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement’s completion (CECA).
“This transformational deal will realize the full potential of the bilateral economic relationship, generating new employment prospects and raising living standards for both Australia and India’s populations,” he said.
Before discussions resumed in 2011, the CECA had been in impasse for more than ten years. However, the negotiations for the agreement were put on hold after running into a snag in 2016.
The CECA negotiations were picked back up in 2021, but an official agreement has not yet been made.
India aims to “balance its relations with Russia and the West,” according to Pant.
