India-Australia ties move into T20 mode: CECA, migration, green hydrogen focus areas

SYDNEY: Signalling a new phase of accelerated engagement, India and Australia redefined their ties by signing a landmark pact on migration and mobility which will boost flow of skilled professionals, and zeroed in on green hydrogen as the focus of their clean energy collaboration.

Using an analogy from cricket, Prime Minister Narendra Modi captured this fast-track phase in bilateral relations after wide-ranging talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at the majestic Admiralty House on May 24. “In the language of cricket, our ties have entered the T20 mode.”

The two leaders decided to intensify their cooperation in trade, defence, and renewable energy, and signed an agreement to establish a hydrogen task force and expand cooperation on clean energy. The deal on migration, signed by the envoys of the two countries, will enable the exchange of students, researchers and business people, while boosting efforts to prevent human smuggling.

“In my meeting with Prime Minister Albanese, we talked about taking India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to greater heights in the next decade. We discussed in detail the possibilities of cooperation in new areas,” said PM Modi.

“Last year India-Australia ECTA came into effect. Today we have decided to focus on CECA – Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. This will give further strength and new dimensions to our trade and economic cooperation.”

PM Modi also spoke about strategic cooperation in the sectors of mining and critical minerals.

Placing India-Australia relations in the larger global context, PM Modi said: “The scope of India-Australia relations is not limited to merely our two countries. It is also linked to regional stability, peace and global welfare.”

“A few days ago, along with Prime Minister Albanese, at the Quad Summit in Hiroshima, we also discussed the Indo-Pacific. India-Australia cooperation can also be beneficial for the progress of the Global South.”

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Manish Chand

Manish Chand is Founder-CEO and Editor-in-Chief of India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) and India and World, a pioneering magazine focused on international affairs. He is CEO/Director of TGII Media Private Limited, an India-based media, publishing, research and consultancy company.