New Delhi: India, France and Australia on Wednesday discussed economic and geostrategic challenges and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
The foreign secretaries of three countries co-chaired their first senior officials’ trilateral dialogue on Wednesday through video conference.
“During the dialogue, the three sides discussed economic and geostrategic challenges and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and domestic responses to COVID-19,” the ministry of external affairs said in a statement here.
Cooperation on marine global commons and potential areas for practical cooperation at the trilateral and regional level were also discussed, including through regional organisations such as ASEAN, IORA and the Indian Ocean Commission.
The three countries also had an exchange on the priorities, challenges and trends in regional and global multilateral institutions, including the best ways to strengthen and reform multilateralism, it said.
The outcome oriented meeting was held with the objective of building on the strong bilateral relations that the three countries share with each other and synergising their respective strengths to ensure a peaceful, secure, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific Region, it added.
The three sides agreed to hold the dialogue on an annual basis.
The meeting was co-chaired by Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Secretary-General, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs François Delattre and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Frances Adamson.
