India, France, Australia hold first trilateral dialogue with focus on Indo-Pacific

India, Australia and France held a dialogue for the first time under a trilateral framework. The three sides have agreed to hold the dialogue on an annual basis. Enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region. Australia, along with France, has emerged as a major strategic partner for India in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region (IOR), especially in the maritime domain.

Objective of the trilateral dialogue:

• The focus of the trilateral dialogue between India, France, and Australia was on enhancing the cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region.
• According to the official statement released by the Ministry, the outcome-oriented meeting was held with an objective of building on the strong bilateral relations that the 3 countries share with each other and synergizing their respective strength to ensure a secure, peaceful, prosperous, and rule-based Indo-pacific region.
• The three sides also agreed to hold the dialogue on an annual basis.

Topics of discussion during trilateral dialogue:

• The three sides discussed the economic and geostrategic challenges and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the domestic responses to the virus.
• Potential areas for the practical cooperation at the trilateral and regional level and cooperation on Marine Global Commons were also discussed, including through the regional organisations such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Indian Ocean Commission.
• India, France, and Australia also had an exchange on the priorities, trends, and challenges in the regional and global multilateral institutions. It also included the best ways to reform and strengthen multilateralism.

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