Kautilya

A major highlight of the visit was the discussion around CEPA, which Canada’s Prime Minister described as a potential “game changer” for opening a large new market. Both sides have reaffirmed their intention to work towards a balanced, commercially meaningful and ambitious agreement that benefits businesses, investors and citizens in both countries. The target is to conclude a mutually beneficial agreement by the end of 2026.

The need for such a system has become sharper because of the rise of “dark ships” — vessels that switch off tracking systems, hide their identity or operate in ways that make monitoring difficult. These ships can be linked to illegal fishing, smuggling, sanctions evasion, grey-zone maritime activity or other unlawful operations. MEA officials have pointed to growing congestion in international waterways and the movement of such vessels as a reason for improving surveillance capability across the region.

The meeting comes at a time when India and Australia are steadily moving beyond traditional diplomacy into a deeper strategic relationship shaped by maritime security, economic cooperation and shared concerns in the Indo-Pacific. Both countries have increasingly recognised that the stability of the region depends on trusted partnerships, secure sea lanes, reliable trade networks and technological cooperation among like-minded democracies.