India, Australia call for global action in Afghanistan

NEW DELHI – The principal ministers of India and Australia Saturday called for international counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan, strengthening mutual security ties and blunting China’s growing regional assertion.

Australian Foreign and Defense Ministers met their Indian counterparts in New Delhi, the second stop on a four-country tour.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the future of Afghanistan was of central concern to India and Pakistan. She said the gains of the past 20 years, such as the empowerment of women and steps towards an inclusive society, should not be reversed.

Australia also wants to conclude a free trade agreement with India to reduce its economic dependence on an increasingly hostile China.

Indian Foreign Minister Subhramanyam Jaishankar praised “the renewed vigor with which the two sides now engage on trade issues”, without providing further details. Bilateral trade between India and Australia is about $ 20 billion a year, according to his ministry.

Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said the two countries want “a stable, resilient and secure strategic neighborhood”.

India, a major purchaser of military equipment, depended heavily on the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. But he diversified his purchases by also choosing American equipment.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said there are opportunities for joint development and production of emerging defense technologies and mutual logistical support.

The United States, India, Japan and Australia are part of the “Quad” regional alliance, established in 2007 in response to China’s growing economic and military power.

The trip of Australian ministers – to Indonesia, India, South Korea and the United States – will prepare for Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit to Washington, DC for a Quad meeting later this month.

U.S. President Joe Biden held talks with China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday amid growing frustration on the U.S. side that the high-level engagement between the two leaders’ top advisers was largely unsuccessful at the start of the Biden presidency.