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UK surpasses Australia as top study abroad choice for Indians

The report indicates a substantial year-on-year growth rate for the UK at 49.6 percent closely followed by Canada at 46.8 percent…reports Asian Lite News

Canada and the US remain top choices for Indian students, while the UK surpasses Australia as the third preferred study destination, as per the Indian Students Mobility Report 2023, signaling shifting trends in international education.

Amidst shifting preferences among Indian students, Canada remains the top choice followed closely by the United States. The recent Indian Students Mobility Report 2023 sheds light on entry numbers for 2022, revealing interesting trends in international education.

A noteworthy shift in preferences emerged as the United Kingdom surpassed Australia to claim the third spot in the ranking of favored study destinations for Indian students.

The report indicates a substantial year-on-year growth rate for the UK at 49.6 percent closely followed by Canada at 46.8 percent.

Over the last four years, Canada has consistently attracted the highest number of Indian students, securing the top position three times. However, the United States took the lead in 2021, while Australia and the UK held the third and fourth positions from 2019 to 2021.

Notably, 2022 saw a significant reshuffling of this order, signaling renewed demand post-Covid-19 challenges.

The concerns regarding diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, projections for student mobility could face disruptions. Director Maria Mathais expressed cautious optimism but highlighted potential challenges in visa processing.

Despite this, it’s anticipated that student interest in Canadian institutions may remain resilient, albeit with potential exploration of alternative destinations by a segment of the market.

Canada has witnessed a remarkable surge in Indian student enrollments, showcasing an increase of over 86 percent since 2018. However, projections suggest a potential slowing down in momentum for Canada in the coming years. Conversely, Australia’s standing as a preferred destination has gradually waned over the past five years, with a drop in ranking for Indian students from third place in 2019 to fourth place in 2022.

ALSO READ-Indian, Australian missions co-host Indo-Pacific Conference

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Indian, Australian missions co-host Indo-Pacific Conference

Vikram Doraiswami, Indian High Commissioner to the UK stressed that the abiding commitment of India and Australia to promote a vision of a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific is reflected in the strength of our bilateral partnership…reports Asian Lite News

The Australian and Indian High Commissions to the United Kingdom (UK) co-hosted the inaugural Indo-Pacific Conference in London on Thursday to explore practical ideas to strengthen Indo-Pacific resilience.

The unique collaboration brought together leading experts from Australia, India, and the United Kingdom to address threats to regional security and enhance strategic stability.

Australian High Commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, said, “The Indo-Pacific has never been in greater focus, whether in Australia, India, or here in the UK. This conference is an important opportunity to explore how the regional security and economic dynamics are continuing to shape the strategic environment both in and beyond the Indo-Pacific.”

Acknowledging China’s growing influence on the Indo-Pacific region, Stephen Smith added, “Our focus has been with the Pacific, but we’re also very strategically conscious of the Indian Ocean. Through IORA, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, we’ve been working very hard to grow our relationships with Indian Ocean Island states. Whether it’s Australia and India meeting in the United Nations General Assembly or meeting in the Commonwealth, there are shared interests which are applicable whichever ocean you’re in.”

The three “physical neighbours in London” – India House, Australia House, and King’s College co-hosted the conference along with the Council on Geostrategy (UK) to further develop the vital conversation on ‘deepening cooperation for a more secure, resilient, and prosperous Indo-Pacific’.

Vikram Doraiswami, Indian High Commissioner to the UK stressed that the abiding commitment of India and Australia to promote a vision of a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific is reflected in the strength of our bilateral partnership.

“Our views are increasingly reflected by other key partners, with whom we work bilaterally and in plurilateral formats, such as the US, Japan, ASEAN, and Korea. We welcome in this regard increased interest in the UK, as part of its Global Britain policy, to work with countries such as India and Australia, in support of this objective,” he said.

Replying to ANI on a possible Australian and Indian strategy to get the small islands in the Indo-Pacific out of China’s influence, Doraiswami emphasized that the focus is to create opportunities for everybody to partner in an Indo-Pacific approach.

“That addresses each country’s sense of what they want to see in a larger and more diverse security space. That isn’t just hard security, but it’s economic security, environmental security, life and livelihood security, particularly for fishing nations. That’s the point that this conference is seeking to bring out, that there are multiple things we can do in this area that is critical to global prosperity and progress,” he added.

Jenny Bates, Director General, Indo-Pacific, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK), emphasised the importance of the tri-lateral collaboration saying, “The kind of world that the UK wants to have, we cannot do that without partnering more in the Indo-Pacific. This is strategic long-term stuff for us and we are really focussed on where the UK can add value.

She further stressed that it is self-evident that we are not a part of the Indo-Pacific, but we do bring particular assets- capabilities and insights into that region. “We are very focussed on where that value-added must come and we are interested in perspectives and ideas on that.”

According to Prof Alessio Patalano, Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia, King’s College London, as ties between Australia and India grow strategically stronger, this initiative represents a most timely opportunity to create synergies and enhance the shared capacity to support the development of the international order in three critical domains: maritime, cyber, and technology.

Patalano said, “King’s College London has a longstanding intellectual and academic connection with Australia and India, and this event is both a reflection of the depth of these links and an opportunity to chart the direction of our ambition to add an academic layer to the UK Indo-Pacific engagement.” (ANI)

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India’s Young Guns Avenge World Cup Loss

After being put in to bat first, India’s top order scripted history by becoming the first top-three Indian trio to register fifty-plus scores in T20Is….reports Asian Lite news

Young stars Yashasvi Jaiswal (53), Ruturaj Gaikwad (58) and Ishan Kishan (52) scored fifties to guide India to a 44-run win over Australia at the Greenfield Stadium to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.

After being put in to bat first, India’s top order scripted history by becoming the first top-three Indian trio to register fifty-plus scores in T20Is.

Suryakumar Yadav played a 10-ball 19 cameo before falling at the hands of Nathan Ellis. Rinku Singh remained unbeaten on 31 runs off just nine deliveries, smashing four boundaries and two sixes as India ended with 235 for 4 on the scoreboard in the first innings, their fifth-highest score in T20Is.

Australia openers Steve Smith and Mathew Short got their side off to a positive start, taking the attack to Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna. However, Ravi Bishnoi turned the game on its head with quick dismissals of Short and Josh Inglis.

All-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Tim David hit some big shots to offer a glimmer of hope for Australia. The two batters formed a quick-fire 81-run partnership to get Australia back in the contest.

Bishnoi claimed the wicket of David in the 14th over. David departed after scoring 37 runs off 22 balls, hitting four boundaries and two sixes.

Mukesh Kumar also joined the party and denied Stoinis a well-deserved half-century to effectively break Australia’s back in the 236-run chase.

The right-handed batter walked back after scoring a 25-ball 45, smashing two boundaries and four maximums.

Mathew Wade scored 42 but failed to take his team home.

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Liberal Party’s Dave Sharma Creates Waves in Australia

A federal member of parliament for the seat of Wentworth from 2019 to 2022, Sharma also served as Australia’s Ambassador to Israel from 2013 to 2017…reports Asian Lite News

Former MP Dave Sharma is returning to the Australian parliament by becoming the first person of Indian-origin from the opposition Liberal party to win the New South Wales (NSW) Senate position.

Dave defeated former state treasurer Andrew Constance 251-206 in a vote of Liberal Party members on Sunday for a seat left vacant by foreign minister Marise Payne.

“Dave’s entry to the Senate as part of the Liberal Party comes at a crucial time given events abroad and at home,” Peter Dutton, Liberal Party leader, said in a statement referring to the situation in the Middle East.

“His diplomatic and foreign policy expertise and experience will lend considerable weight and wisdom to the public policy debate given the precarious circumstances in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific,” Dutton said as he congratulated Sharma on securing the seat.

Dutton had endorsed both Constance and former minister Zed Seselja in the tightly-contested race where 10 candidates had thrown their hats in the ring but Dave emerged as a consensus candidate.

“I would like to thank the party members for the opportunity to hold (Prime Minister Anthony) Albanese government to account in the senate over its many missteps and wrong decisions, and to fight for the many households across NSW struggling to deal with Labor’s cost-of-living crisis,” Dave said.

A federal member of parliament for the seat of Wentworth from 2019 to 2022, Sharma also served as Australia’s Ambassador to Israel from 2013 to 2017.

“Dave will speak with moral courage and provide moral clarity as we grapple with unprecedented levels of anti-Semitism on our own shores following Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October,” Dutton said .

The opposition leader added that Dave will be a voice of reason in the senate and “help hold senators from the Greens and others to account for their rank anti-Semitism and shameful moral equivalence”.

Dutton further said that Dave will continue to fight for everyday Australian workers, families and small businesses which are being forgotten and left behind by the ruling Labor government.

As a career diplomat prior to entering parliament, Dave was also posted to Washington D.C. and Port Moresby, served as a peacekeeper with the Peace Monitoring Group in Bougainville, and headed the international division within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

He studied at the University of Cambridge, where he graduated with first-class honours in Law.

He also has a Master of Arts from Cambridge and a Master of Arts (International Relations) from Deakin University.

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Spin Maestro Ashwin Tips Hat to Oz Brilliance

Ashwin was highly impressed with Pat Cummins’s “tactical masterclass” in the finals as Cummins went on to take two key wickets of Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli….reports Asian Lite News

Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin lauded Australia’s victory in the ODI World Cup final against India, attributing the Baggy Greens’ record-extending sixth title to their exceptional tactical prowess showcased in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

After a loss in the first two games of the league stage, Australia went on to win eight consecutive games to reach the finals against India, which they won by six wickets, thanks to Travis Head’s masterclass inning of 137 runs.

Ashwin was highly impressed with Pat Cummins’s “tactical masterclass” in the finals as Cummins went on to take two key wickets of Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli.

“Final was a tactical masterclass by Cummins, he had a 4-5 fielding setup, similar to an off-spinner, hitting stump line – he bowled only 3 balls in the 6 meter mark towards the stump line as not allowing batters to drive – he bowled all-overs without mid-off, a masterclass,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin also anticipated Australia to stick to tradition and bat first, but they surprised everyone with their decision. He noted that Australia’s choice at the toss was rooted in analyzing the pitch’s black soil, which tends to favor batting in the evening.

“Australia did not win because of destiny or luck. They were tactically outstanding in the final”

“Let me make it clear, Australia did not win because of destiny or luck. They were tactically outstanding in the final. I watched their performance in the final with absolute fascination. Australia and Pat Cummins deceived me. I thought Australia would bat first if they win the toss because, historically, it’s an Aussie thing to ‘win the toss and bat’. The wicket used for the final was not Ahmedabad soil, it was rather from Odisha. It was the kind of wicket that would not disintegrate too much,” said Ashwin.

After being asked to bat first India managed to put up a below-par score of 240 runs as Australian bowlers were well on top with tight lines and well-accurate line length outside the off.

The Australian pace trio went on to take seven wickets, three to Mitchell Starc and two wickets apiece for Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Glenn Maxwell brought into the powerplay managed to get the key wicket of Rohit Sharma, who yet again gave a thrilling start to India.

Ashwin also recalled his chat with Australia’s Chief Selector George Baily after the match and said: “I had a chat with George Bailey during the mid innings, I asked him why didn’t you guys bat first like you always do – he answered back, we have played IPL & Bilateral series here a lot – red soil disintegrates but not black soil & it gets better under lights – no impact on dew on red soil but black soil has good turn in afternoon & then it will be a concrete in night – this is our experience,” said Ashwin.

The spin-bowling all-rounder further said that he never thought that his World Cup journey would end with him playing just one match. Ashwin played the India’s first league game against Australia at his home ground – the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, claiming one wicket for 34 runs in his allotted ten overs quota.

“Never thought that my run at the World Cup would end after playing one match in Chennai, because I was bowling with good rhythm. My return was supposed to come against New Zealand at Dharamsala, Hardik had a heartbreaking injury. Hardik Pandya was an important figure because we did not have an all-rounder to replace him,” Ashwin said.

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Skilled Migrants in Australia Face Barriers

Applicants’ lack of understanding of the application requirements in Australia, such as cover letters and addressing key selection criteria, is one of the barriers noted in the research…reports Asian Lite News

 Skilled migrants in Australia face recruitment barriers that lead to a surplus of overqualified delivery and taxi drivers while necessary jobs remain unfilled, a new research revealed on Thursday.

“Our research shows that skilled migrants who move to Australia and students who stay in Australia after study end up in jobs lower than their skill level due to barriers in the application process,” June Tran, a lecturer with the RMIT University in Melbourne, was quoted as saying in a statement.

Recruiters would set unfair requirements for local work experience and only recognize local certificates or qualifications, Xinhua news agency reported citing thr research as saying.

Applicants’ lack of understanding of the application requirements in Australia, such as cover letters and addressing key selection criteria, is one of the barriers noted in the research.

There is also bias toward applicants from Western countries with less experience over people from Asian non-English-speaking countries, the research revealed.

“These skilled migrants we so desperately need end up taking jobs well below their skill level to support themselves and their families and to cope with the skilled migrant-unfriendly recruitment practices,” Tran said.

The research was first published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources in October 2023.

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AustraHind-23: Indian Military Contingent Departs for Australia

The Australian Army contingent comprises 60 personnel from the 13th Brigade….reports Asian Lite News

An Indian Armed Forces contingent, comprising 81 personnel, departed for Australia on Wednesday to participate in the second edition of joint military Exercise ‘AustraHind-23’, Ministry of Defence announced in a press release.

The exercise will be conducted in Western Australia’s Perth from November 22 to December 6. The Indian Army contingent comprises 60 personnel from a battalion of the Gorkha Rifles. One officer from the Indian Navy and 20 personnel from the Indian Air Force will also participate in the exercise.

The Australian Army contingent comprises 60 personnel from the 13th Brigade.

The Australian contingent also includes 20 personnel each from the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force, according to an official release by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The aim of the exercise is to foster collaborative partnership and share best practices between the two nations, the MoD stated in the release, adding that the joint drills will also promote interoperability while undertaking multi-domain operations in urban and semi-urban terrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations on peacekeeping operations.

“The joint exercise will promote an exchange of ideas and jointly rehearse tactics, technique and procedures for conducting tactical operations. Training curriculum also includes sniper firing, and jointly operating surveillance and communication equipment to achieve a high degree of situational awareness,” the MoD release stated.

“The exercise will also help in promoting understanding between the two militaries and further strengthen the defence cooperation between the two friendly nations,” it added.

The exercise will help in promoting understanding between the militaries of India and Australia while also strengthening the defence cooperation between the two nations, the release stated.

Further, in its release, the Ministry of Defence noted, “Exercise AUSTRAHIND was instituted in 2022 and the first edition was conducted in Mahajan, Rajasthan. It is planned to be an annual training event to be conducted alternatively in India and Australia.” (ANI)

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India, Australia reaffirm support for Israel

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages…reports Asian Lite News

Reaffirming their support to Israel in its war against Hamas, India and Australia also called for adherence to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians.

The two nations also urged for the immediate release of all remaining hostages.

“Noting horrific attacks against Israel on 7 October 2023, both sides reaffirmed that they stand with Israel against terrorism and called for adherence to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians. They called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages,” the joint statement said.

The India-Australia joint statement that came after the Defence and Foreign Ministers’ 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue also expressed support for “humanitarian pauses” in the region.

“The Ministers committed to continue coordinating with partners in the region on humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. They expressed support for humanitarian pauses and committed to continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key partners in the region, to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace,” the joint statement read.

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.

Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas’ infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire group while making efforts to minimize civilian casualties.

During the 2+2 Ministerial dialogue, the ministers from both sides also expressed their deep concern at the deteriorating situation in Myanmar and its impacts on regional security and stability.

They called for an immediate cessation of violence, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, safe access to humanitarian assistance, and resolution of the crisis through dialogue and transition towards federal democracy.

They reaffirmed their support for ASEAN-led efforts in addressing the crisis in Myanmar and called for the full implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, the joint statement added.

A number of Myanmar nationals fled from their country following the recent airstrike by the Myanmar army in the bordering areas of the country.

More than 26,000 from Myanmar’s Rakhine state have been displaced since Monday after fresh fighting between Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and the Arakan Army (AA) according to the United Nations. (ANI)

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Jaishankar lauds India, Australia partnership in Quad format  

In his remarks at the India-Australia 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministerial Dialogue, Jaishankar recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese met five times in 2023...reports Asian Lite News

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the bilateral relationship between India and Australia has grown rapidly and noted that it has larger implications for the region. He called the partnership between India and Australia in Quad format “very beneficial” for bilateral relations and the Indo-Pacific region.

In his opening remarks at the India-Australia 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministerial Dialogue here in the national capital, Jaishankar said, “When it comes to the 2+2, I’d like to make a few points for our collective consideration. One, that our bilateral relationship has certainly grown rapidly, but that it has larger implications for the region, and a lot of other countries look to us and to our relationship in many ways as a factor of stability and security.” “Second, this has happened at a time when there is increasing uncertainty in the world.

We are seeing sharper polarization, deeper stresses today, and while it is important to ensure that the routine is there for the region to feel safer, we have to build and we have to act for stability on a daily basis,” he added. Jaishankar acknowledged that India and Australia face “exceptional challenges,” including regional and global, and many of them involve challenges to the rule of law. He noted that India and Australia also work with a few other nations in trilaterals. “Third, we do face exceptional challenges, some regional, some global; many of them involve challenges to the rule of law, and as comprehensive strategic partners, it is important to also plan for those exceptions. And these could be man-made exceptions, but these could be HADR situations where, again, it’s important that we have a culture of cooperation in order to respond,” Jaishankar said.

“Our partnership in the Quad format has been very beneficial for the Indo-Pacific region and indeed for our own bilateral relationship. And of course, we work with a few other countries in trilaterals as well. Trilaterals with Indonesia and France come to mind,” he added.

In his remarks at the India-Australia 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministerial Dialogue, Jaishankar recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese met five times in 2023. He stressed that the two nations held the first-ever annual summit in March this year and called it a “noteworthy development.” EAM Jaishankar said, “Let me also echo the sentiment that it’s been an exceptional year for our relationship, and I see that our prime ministers have actually met five times this year, thrice in each other’s countries, and on two other occasions as well. And we’ve had our first-ever annual summit in March this year. So that is also a very noteworthy development.”

“When one looks at milestones, the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) entered into force last December, and we are seeing its economic implications unfold this year in terms of a trade increase. The migration and mobility partnership arrangement was signed, and we reached a mutual recognition of qualifications. Both are very important steps, I think, for the further development of our relationship. And we can see today that a million-strong Indian community and 100,000+ Indian students really form a living bridge between our two countries,” he added.

The India-Australia 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministerial Dialogue is being co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong. Meanwhile, Penny Wong said that Australia deeply values its bilateral relationship, economic ties, two-way trade and investment, and people-to-people links with India. She called the partnership with India “consequential” for Australia. In her opening remarks at the India-Australia 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministerial Dialogue, Penny Wong noted that the two nations have done a lot together bilaterally and hope to do more. She recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Australia. Penny Wong said, “It’s a real honour to be here for the two plus two. It’s been a big year in the bilateral relationship, I think, since we were elected to took some 19 ministerial visits to India by our government. We’ve obviously had Prime Minister Modi’s state visit to Australia which was so welcomed.” (ANI)

ALSO READ-India, Australia discuss expansion of defence ties

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India, Australia discuss expansion of defence ties

New Delhi, Nov 20 (ANI): Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong pose for a picture with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar after the 2+2 Ministerial meeting, in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI Photo)

The two leaders underscored the importance of further enhancing cooperation in information exchange and maritime domain awareness between the two nations...reports Asian Lite News

Rajnath Singh and Richard Marles underscore the importance of enhancing cooperation in information exchange and maritime domain awareness between the two nations.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral defence relations.Rajnath Singh and Richard Marles expressed satisfaction at the increasing military-to-military cooperation between the two nations, including joint exercises, exchanges and institutional dialogue. Singh congratulated Minister Marles on the maiden and successful conduct of the multilateral exercise ‘Malabar’ by Australia in August this year.”Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mr Richard Marles in New Delhi on November 20, 2023. Both the ministers reaffirmed their commitment towards further strengthening the bilateral defence relations,” the Ministry of Defence said in a press release.The two leaders underscored the importance of further enhancing cooperation in information exchange and maritime domain awareness between the two nations.

During the meeting, Rajnath Singh emphasised that the forces of the two nations should look at cooperating in niche training areas like Artificial Intelligence, anti-submarine and anti-drone warfare and cyber domain.”The two sides are also in an advanced stage of discussion to conclude implementing arrangements on hydrography cooperation and cooperation for air-to-air refuelling,” the Ministry of Defence said in the press release.Richard Marles and Rajnath Singh agreed that deepening cooperation in the defence industry and research would give a fillip to the already strong relationship. Singh suggested that shipbuilding, ship repair and maintenance and aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) could be potential areas of collaboration.In the press release, the Ministry of Defence said, “The two ministers also discussed cooperation for joint research in underwater technologies. Collaboration between the defence start-ups of both the countries, including that for solving challenges jointly, was discussed by the ministers.””They concurred that a strong India-Australia defence partnership will augur well not just for the mutual benefit of the two countries but also for the overall security of the Indo-Pacific,” it added.

Rajnath Singh expressed confidence that the partnership between India and Australia will scale new heights in the time to come.Taking to X, Rajnath Singh stated, “Excellent meeting with Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Mr. @RichardMarlesMP in New Delhi today. We had wide-ranging discussions on a number of issues pertaining to strengthening our bilateral strategic engagements. I am confident India-Australia partnership will scale newer heights in the times to come.”In a post shared on X, Richard Marles stated, “Always a pleasure to see Defence Minister @rajnathsingh to discuss the ever-growing defence partnership. 2023 has been a big year for our ADF and the Indian Armed Forces with greater engagement and cooperation.” Earlier, Richard Marles inspected the Tri-Services Guard of Honour in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at South Block lawns in New Delhi. Marles was received by Rajnath Singh and the two leaders greeted each other.Marles said that there has never been a more important time for India and Australia to work together, stressing that the two countries cannot overstate the importance of this relationship.Richard Marles, while speaking at the second India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue on Monday, highlighted that China is the biggest security anxiety for both India and Australia.”For both of us, China is our biggest trading partner. For both of us, China is our biggest security anxiety. and we share an ocean.

And in that sense, we are neighbours. And there has never been a more important time for our two countries to be working together,” he said.He further said that India and Australia share history and democratic traditions, adding to this, he stressed, “We share the rule of law and freedom of speech. We share this in a world where our strategic alignment is greater than it has ever been.””From our perspective, we cannot overstate the importance of this relationship,” Marles emphasised.Moreover, during the ministerial dialogue, he said, “We really look forward to talking more about that strategic landscape in our meeting today. We look forward to talking more about ways in which we can cooperate around maritime domain awareness and more about the ways in which we can cooperate with our diplomacy, particularly in the region that surrounds us.”Further emphasising that this year has been a big year in terms of defence, Marles underscored, “We’ve seen the first visit of an Indian submarine to Australia…the highest tempo of defence exercises in our country’s history.”He said that all of that speaks to the appetite and the ambition on both sides to be engaged more in defence and to see that as being very much part of the bedrock of the bilateral relationship. (ANI)

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