India and Australia inked a landmark agreement for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support

It will allow them to use each military bases for repair and replenishment of supplies

• India and Australia inked a landmark agreement on June 4, 2020, that will allow the reciprocal access to military bases
• It is for the logistics support besides firming the six more pacts to further broaden the ties between the two countries
• The agreement between the two countries will allow them to use each other military bases for repair and replenishment of supplies

Key highlights of the online summit between India and Australia

• The two sides discussed the key issues that included the growing threat of terrorism, reform in the World Trade Organization (WTO), maritime security challenges in the indo-pacific region, and methods to deal with the COVID-19 crisis
• The discussion on the issue of taxation of offshore income of Indian firms through the use of the India-Australia Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA)
• Both the countries also decided to re-engage on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, while also considering early bilateral discussions
• Both countries support a comprehensive approach to combat terrorism and call for early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT)
• PM Modi underlined the collaborative approach to come out of the adverse economic and social impact of the pandemic

The MoU agreements between both the countries

• The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) signed by India and Australia, aims at allowing the militaries of the two countries to use each other bases for the replenishment of supplies and repair besides scaling up overall defense cooperation
• Framework Arrangement on Cyber Enabled critical Technology
• MoU on cooperation in processing of Critical and Strategic minerals
• Implementing arrangement related to cooperation in Defense
• MoU on cooperation of training and vocational education
• MoU un the field of Governance Reforms and Public Administration
• MoU on cooperation in mining and processing of strategic minerals

Background for the agreement

• The countries signed a framework of security cooperation in November 2014
• This had laid the foundation for intensified defense, security and foreign policy exchanges between the countries
• The countries also share a free open and prosperous Indo Pacific region The countries also share a free open and prosperous Indo Pacific region
• Australia supported for India’s non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council
• Australia backs India at the global initiatives such as Indo-Pacific and International Solar Alliance
• Australia had also supported India for the membership of the later at the Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group
• Australia supports India for its membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group

Common International concerns between India and Australia

• Against the backdrop of their frosty relations with China, the two countries also unveiled a ”shared vision for maritime cooperation in the Indo- Pacific”, a region which has been witnessing growing Chinese military assertiveness triggering concerns among major players
• India has been relying heavily on China for critical minerals and the agreement will pave way to source them from Australia, which has one of the largest reserves of strategic minerals
• India and Australia have common concerns regarding the strategic, security and environmental challenges in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain
• These include activities and actions in the maritime domain that are inconsistent with international law,” the declaration said, without making any reference to China

Pic courtesy : swarajya