India, Australia highlight importance of rules-based global order and freedom of navigation in intl waters

Canberra: India and Australia, as liberal democracies, believe in a rules-based international order, in freedom of navigation in international waters, in promoting connectivity, growth and security for all, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday, amidst China flexing its military muscle in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

Addressing a joint press conference here with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong, Jaishankar said he had a "very useful, very productive and very comfortable discussion" on a range of bilateral and global issues. Wong said that Australia and India have recognised that the Indo-Pacific region is being "reshaped" both economically and strategically and underlined that the partnership with India is a "critical part" of shaping the region.

"As liberal democracies, we both believe in a rules-based international order, in freedom of navigation in international waters, in promoting connectivity, growth and security for all," he said.

He also emphasised what the two sides have emphasised in ensuring that countries make "sovereign choices on matters that are important to them."

"Australia and India are comprehensive strategic partners. We are QUAD partners. We partner in many other ways and most fundamentally, we share a region, the Indo-Pacific region and between our countries, we span a great breadth of the Indo-Pacific," Wong said after both ministers held the 13th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue.

Wong noted that it was Jaishankar's second visit to Australia this year, demonstrating the importance both Australia and India place on the bilateral partnership.