·
New
Joint Declaration: The
Prime Ministers of India
and Australia have adopted a Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation,
reaffirming their commitment to a stronger strategic partnership and a free,
open, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
·
Reaffirmation
of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP): The leaders reaffirmed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
(CSP) established in 2020,
highlighting stronger strategic alignment, expanding economic ties and growing
people-to-people connections.
·
Building
on Earlier Cooperation: The
declaration builds upon the 2009
India–Australia Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation and
existing bilateral mechanisms, including:
o Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue
(FMFD)
o 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial
Dialogue
o Defence Ministers' Dialogue
·
Shared
Strategic Concerns: Both
countries expressed concern over increasing geopolitical uncertainty and called
for:
o Peaceful resolution of disputes.
o No threat or use of force or coercion.
o Full adherence to international law.
·
Commitment
to a Rules-Based Indo-Pacific:
The two nations reaffirmed support for:
o International law.
o Sovereignty and territorial integrity.
o Freedom of navigation and overflight under
the 1982 United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
o Open, secure and transparent regional
institutions.
·
Support
for Regional Institutions:
India and Australia reaffirmed support for:
o Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
o ASEAN and ASEAN-led regional architecture.
o Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
·
The
two countries committed to:
o Consult regularly on Indo-Pacific security
developments.
o Increase the complexity of joint military
exercises, including with partners.
o Accelerate defence interoperability and
information sharing.
o Expand aircraft deployments from each
other's territories.
o Deepen personnel exchanges, education,
training and liaison arrangements.
o Explore cooperation in recruiting skilled
defence personnel.
·
Recognising
the strategic importance of the maritime domain, both countries agreed to:
o Expand maritime security cooperation.
o Develop an India–Australia Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap.
o Increase the depth, sophistication and
regularity of maritime engagement.
·
Promote
integration between defence industries.
·
Build
resilient defence supply chains.
·
Enhance
defence innovation ecosystem collaboration.
·
Develop
advanced defence science and technology partnerships.
·
Reaffirm
commitment to:
o Gender equality in peacekeeping.
o Women's leadership in conflict prevention,
disaster response and peacebuilding.
o Advancing the Women, Peace and Security
agenda.
·
Cooperate
to:
o Build resilient supply chains.
o Strengthen critical infrastructure.
o Enhance connectivity.
o Secure critical minerals and clean energy
technology supply chains.
·
Strengthen
cooperation under the Australia–India
Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS).
·
Expand
collaboration on:
o Cybersecurity.
o Emerging technologies.
o Strategic technology development.
o Information sharing.
·
Increase
intelligence sharing on terrorist threats.
·
Enhance
cooperation against:
o Violent extremism.
o Terrorism financing.
o Threats to critical infrastructure.
o Maritime terrorism.
o Online radicalisation.
o Emerging technology-related threats.
·
Continue
cooperation under the 2023
Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement to:
o Prevent irregular migration.
o Combat people smuggling.
o Prevent human trafficking.
o Fight transnational organised crime.
·
Reaffirm
commitment to:
o Nuclear non-proliferation.
o Global, complete, non-discriminatory and
verifiable nuclear disarmament.
·
Deepen
cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners through:
o Trilateral mechanisms.
o Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
o Expanded collaboration with the United States and Japan to promote a
stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
·
Strengthen
HADR cooperation through:
o Information sharing.
o Expert exchanges.
o Joint disaster response exercises.
o Participation in the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network.
·
Explore
joint contingency planning and coordinated responses during disasters,
including evacuation operations in third countries.
·
The
declaration commits both countries to an advanced,
integrated and top-tier defence and security partnership, aimed
at strengthening regional peace, security, resilience and prosperity while
supporting a rules-based Indo-Pacific order.
We,
the Prime Ministers of India and Australia, drawn together by our ever closer bilateral ties, united in our determination to strengthen
our nations’ strategic partnership and motivated by a common ambition for an open,
peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, hereby commit to this Joint Declaration
on Defence and Security Cooperation.
We
reaffirm the vitality of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), established
in 2020. Since the launch of our CSP, our strategic convergence has accelerated,
our economic ties have deepened and the connections between our peoples – the living
bridge between our nations – have grown stronger. We note our close engagement,
both bilaterally and multilaterally, including with other partners through regional
forums such as the Quad and other multilateral institutions, benefits both nations,
and contributes to the security and prosperity of our shared region.
We
also reflect on the great strides in our partnership fostered by the India-Australia
Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation of 2009. We appreciate the enriching contributions
to the partnership through various bilateral mechanisms including the Foreign Ministers’
Framework Dialogue (FMFD), the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue and
the Defence Ministers’ Dialogue.
We
note with concern geostrategic uncertainty, and threats to regional peace and stability.
We encourage all parties to work together peacefully and call for the resolution
of disputes without the threat or use of force or coercion and in accordance with
international law.
We
reaffirm our unwavering commitment to an open, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific
region underpinned by: a rules-based architecture based on adherence to international
law; respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; an open, stable and secure
maritime domain underpinned by adherence to the 1982 United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) including freedom of navigation and overflight; and
effective, inclusive and transparent institutions.
We
reaffirm our support for the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), ASEAN and ASEAN-centred
regional architecture, and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) as the premier forums
for addressing challenges in these regions.
We
recognise that our partnership must evolve to meet changing strategic circumstances,
and commit to an acceleration in our advanced, integrated, and top-tier defence
and security partnership. We will continue to strengthen strategic exchanges and
conduct regular ministerial engagement that reflects the convergence of our strategic
interests. We recognise a long-term vision of defence and security collaboration
to enhance collective strength. This collaboration will contribute to both countries’
security and make an important contribution to regional peace and security.
We
commit to strengthening our comprehensive defence cooperation, deepening strategic
dialogue and intensifying cooperation, including by:
a.
undertaking to consult on defence-related developments in the Indo-Pacific that
affect shared interests;
b.
increasing the complexity of our defence exercises, including with partners;
c.
accelerating efforts to build interoperability and information sharing between defence
forces;
d.
expanding aircraft deployments from each other’s territories;
e.
deepening connections between defence force personnel, including through exchanges,
education and training, and liaison roles; and
f.
exploring opportunities to cooperate in recruiting for skilled defence workforces.
We
recognise the centrality of the maritime domain to our defence, security and economic
interests, and will increase the depth, sophistication and regularity of maritime
security cooperation. We will strengthen maritime cooperation through a India-Australia Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap.
We
will embrace the growing potential of defence industries on both sides through encouraging
integration, industry engagement, and building supply chain resilience. We will
deepen collaboration between our defence innovation ecosystems and develop arrangements
for advanced defence science and technology collaboration.
We
will work to promote the meaningful participation and leadership of women in the
prevention of conflicts, the delivery of relief and recovery efforts, and the forging
of lasting peace, affirming our commitment to uphold gender equality in peacekeeping
operations and to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
We
commit to cooperating bilaterally, and with partners, to support regional economic
prosperity and resilience. We will develop more diverse and resilient supply chains,
critical infrastructure and connectivity, including for critical minerals and clean
energy technologies.
We
will work together to help shape a technology environment that meets our shared
vision for a secure and resilient Indo-Pacific. We will work together to harness
the potential of our cyber security and critical and emerging technology cooperation
and information sharing mechanisms under the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber,
Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (Australia-India PACTS), and bolster cooperation
on strategic technologies.
We
commit to increase information sharing on terrorist threats in our region, including
entities and individuals, and explore opportunities for enhanced collaboration to
counter violent extremism and terrorism in sectors, including in:
a.
new and emerging technology;
b.
financing of terrorism;
c.
critical infrastructure and crowded spaces;
d.
the maritime domain; and
e.
online radicalisation.
We
will continue our cooperation under the Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement,
signed in 2023, which outlines ways to cooperate on the prevention of irregular
migration, people smuggling, and trafficking in human beings. We will also continue
our cooperation to combat transnational organised crime.
We
seek a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons, and to this end reiterate our commitment
to non-proliferation and global, complete, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear
disarmament.
We
commit to continued cooperation with other Indo-Pacific partners, including trilateral
cooperation mechanisms and deeper engagement with partners through the Indo-Pacific
Oceans Initiative. We will expand our cooperation with the United States of America
and Japan, to build capability and cooperation towards our positive vision for an
open, stable, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
We
commit to deepen collaboration in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
to offer rapid, coordinated and sustainable disaster response recognising our shared
commitment to regional peace, security, prosperity and resilience. We will strengthen
cooperation including through:
a.
information sharing and expert exchanges; and
b.
joint HADR exercises, including the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network, which supports
civilian response to large-scale natural disasters.
We
commit to exploring opportunities for sharing of contingency planning, joint response
and coordination during disasters and crises, including to support regional and
global evacuation operations in third countries.
In
the spirit of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, we commit fully to implementing
this ambitious agenda to support a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region.