Australia and India have entered a new era of security and military
co-operation based on shared values and aimed at defending a rules-based
international order.
The Indian and Australian governments have now confirmed a
Fairfax report this morning that prime ministers Narendra Modi and Tony
Abbott quietly signed a sensitive and potentially transformative new
framework agreement. The confirmation came after China's President Xi Jinping had flown from Canberra to Tasmania.
"They have decided to establish the Framework for Security
Cooperation to reflect the deepening and expanding security and defence
engagement between India and Australia, and to intensify co-operation
and consultation between Australia and India in areas of mutual
interest," said India's Ministry of External Affairs, on its website. The framework lays out an extensive "action plan" including
annual prime ministerial summits and maritime military exercises,
according to the Indian government website.
The action areas include counter-terrorism, border control and close consultations on regional and international institutions. It even commits Australian "support for India's bid to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council".
Australian officials later "noted" the framework in a joint
statement from Mr Abbott and Mr Modi, after Mr Abbott departed to join
China's President Xi for an afternoon in Tasmania.
The joint statement said the new framework would guide closer
bilateral collaboration across "defence, counter-terrorism, cyber
policy, disarmament and non-proliferation and maritime security".
"They agreed to hold regular meetings at the level of the
Defence Minister, conduct regular maritime exercises and convene regular
navy to navy, air force to air force and army to army staff talks,"
said the joint statement.
Mr Modi first revealed the framework agreement in a media statement this morning, while standing alongside Mr Abbott.
"I welcome the new framework of security co-operation," said Mr Modi, without introduction or explanation.
"Security and defence are important and growing areas of the
new India-Australia partnership for advancing regional peace and
stability and combating terrorism and transnational crimes," he said.
Mr Modi's short revelation to journalists was made just
minutes before he gave a historic address to a joint sitting of
Parliament, the same venue where President Xi had yesterday pledged his nation to peaceful co-operation.
Mr Modi's powerful speech placed Australia at the centre of
India's vision of a prosperous and regional order, at the juncture of
the Indian and Pacific oceans, at a time when he said security was
valued more highly than ever.
He talked of what the two countries could do working together
in maritime security and counter-terrorism, in regional and global
institutions, and in entrenching international norms of good behaviour.
"India and Australia can play their part in it by expanding
security co-operation," Mr Modi told the joint sitting in unscripted
English, when he more commonly speaks in Hindi at international events.
"What we do need is to work together, and with others, to
create an environment and culture that promotes the currency of
coexistence and co-operation in which all nations small and big abide by
international law and norms ... even when they have bitter disputes,"
he said.
Mr Modi and Mr Abbott are unlikely to mention China in the
context of their plans of military co-operation, at least while
President Xi remains in Australia.
Nevertheless, the muscular China that has been on display in recent years has been at the forefront of their concerns. Mr Modi has been chafing at Chinese military incursions on the Indian side of the "line of control", in the Himalayas. Mr Abbott has been exercised by China's territorial conflicts with neighbours in its maritime periphery.
"There's an enthusiasm on both our parts for more bilateral
and trilateral military exercises and we hope to see much more of that
in the years ahead," said Mr Abbott. Earlier, Mr Modi said his visit with Mr Abbott this morning
to the Australian War Memorial had "reminded us of the need to strive
together for a better world".
The new India-Australia framework dovetails neatly with both
countries tightening ties with both Japan and the United States,
suggesting the informal resurrection of a "security quad" or "security
diamond" of democratic powers that was previously dropped due to Chinese
concerns.
