India plans Virtual for Modi-Morrison Bilateral Summit

NEW DELHI: India is planning to hold its first ever bilateral virtual summit where PM Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison plan to discuss a range of issues including joint fight against Covid and Indo-Pacific partnership.

The two sides plan to conclude a range of pacts including Mutual Logistics Sharing Pact and in areas of science & technology and public administration on the occasion.

The Australian PM was earlier scheduled to visit Delhi in January but postponed it due to bush fires in Australia. Later, a India visit was contemplated in May but that could not fructify due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

The two leaders are planning to hold their summit virtually in the near future, ET has reliably learnt. Exact dates and outcome of the summit are being worked out, sources told ET. The virtual summit may also be held in both restricted and delegation formats like in-person summits. So far, the Indian PM has been part of virtual summits in SAARC and G-20 formats.

Morrison and Modi have been in touch to discuss measures to contain outbreak of Covid-19. In a phone call in April, both leaders agreed to remain attentive to the wider significance of the India-Australia partnership, including in the Indo-Pacific region, while they focus on solving the present health crisis.

The two leaders had discussed the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the domestic response strategies adopted by their respective governments. They agreed on the importance of bilateral experience-sharing in the context of this health crisis, including collaborative research efforts.

“Our Prime Ministers have agreed to schedule a virtual summit very soon given they will not be able to meet in person…On top of leading a quick, decisive and effective domestic COVID-19 response, Prime Minister Modi has been active engaging leaders and shaping the world’s response through calls and video-conferences,” Australian High Commissioner designate to India Barry O’ Farrell told ET.

“As to our bilateral agenda, I see Australia and India as natural partners in shaping the post-COVID world. As like-minded democracies, we have a shared commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. We are also both participants in the regular Indo-Pacific coordination call (along with with Japan, US, South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand). This format provides an opportunity to intensify COVID-19 cooperation with like-minded partners in our region. Another important area I think Australia and India are likely to intensify collaboration is thinking through the shape of the post-COVID multilateral order,” the diplomat pointed out.

“Another important area I think Australia and India are likely to intensify collaboration is thinking through the shape of the post-COVID multilateral order. We have long been a supporter of India take its due place at the councils of the world, including attaining permanent membership of the UN Security Council. Australia has welcomed Prime Minister Modi’s call during the G20 for strengthening the WHO. We, like India, are friends of the WHO. It has done outstanding work in the Pacific and Southeast Asia and I know its offices here in India are highly respected,” according to the High Commissioner designate.

Australia has felt that it can do more with India in global and regional responses to the threat of terrorism besides widening the scope of their Indo-Pacific partnership to stabilise Indian Ocean Region through Mutual Logistics Sharing Agreement for their defence forces. The logistic sharing Agreement was originally scheduled to be signed in January on the occasion of Morrison’s visit.

Logistics sharing agreements with nations like Japan and Australia will significantly enhance the capability of the India Navy to operate eastwards, which is an increasing area of interest.

However, sources cautioned that the agreements should not been seen in the context of the ‘Quad’ initiative and that individual relations with the nations have progressed to a level where increasing bilateral activity requires such a pact.

Source: ET