Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla
NEW DELHI: India, Australia and France on Wednesday he held talks for the first time under a trilateral framework with a focus on enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, a region that has witnessed growing Chinese military assertiveness.
The virtual meeting was co-chaired by the Secretary of Foreign Relations Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Secretary General of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, François Delattre, and Secretary of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, Frances Adamson.
“The focus of the dialogue was to improve cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
He said the “results-oriented” meeting was held with the aim of building on the strong bilateral ties that the three countries share with each other and synergizing their respective strengths to ensure a peaceful, safe, prosperous and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. rule-based. .
The MEA said the three parties agreed to hold the dialogue annually.
He said that the three parties discussed economic and geostrategic challenges and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and domestic responses to the crisis.
“The three countries also had an exchange on priorities, challenges and trends in regional and global multilateral institutions, including the best ways to strengthen and reform multilateralism,” the MEA said.
The MEA said that cooperation on the global marine commons and potential areas for practical partnership at the trilateral and regional level were also discussed, including through regional organizations such as ASEAN, indian ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Indian Ocean Commission.
ASEAN, made up of ten countries, is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region. India and several other countries, including the United States, China, Japan, and Australia, are its dialogue partners.
The IORA is a regional forum that focuses on enhancing maritime and economic cooperation.
Members of the bloc include India, Australia, Bangladesh, Iran, Kenya, Comoros, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, and South Africa.
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