Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 25 : The India-Australia Quad partnership is strategically aligned as Quad partners in their aim to create an open and free Indo-Pacific region, the Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, said on Tuesday.
In an interview with ANI, Green said that the Indo-Pacific region has a great dynamic and that the Quad countries stand with the region to have free trade and also to have sovereignty, which is free from any state.
"Australia and India are Quad partners, who are strategically aligned. We want Indo-Pacific open and free. There are great dynamics in our regions but some things hold us back. We want the region where states have free trade and what they want in their sovereignty in their own way, which is free from state, can make choices that suit the peoples of each of their countries," he said.
Green said that the Quad countries have agreed to work in maritime domain security and also to work in the removal of cervical cancer via vaccines in this region.
"We agreed on new work in maritime domain security; we all understand what is happening in our maritime domain, and secondly, we work harder and try to remove cervical cancer via vaccines. Australian PM Anthony Albasene visited India and met Prime Minister Modi and we talked about good things that include many things," he added.
The High Commissioner also discussed the bilateral relationship between India and Australia, and said there are three underlined drivers that have helped both countries to be a better strategic partner working towards the betterment of the Indo-Pacific region.
"There are three underlined drivers between India and Australia. We know that Australia and India are strategic partners and friends working together for the betterment of Indo-Pacific relations. Australia and India have strong economies. Australia produces many things that India needs for its next phase of economic growth. And the third thing driving us is that we called it 'Human breach.' There are many Indian-origin people who live in Australia and contribute to the many 4 per cent Indian population in Australia and they are contributing towards our national life as well and it will help the bilateral relationship between India and Australia," he said.
The envoy further said that there has been a rise in trade between both countries and that they are also working for the second phase of the free trade agreement between both countries through the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), but they need to work on how to make it grow further.
"Between India and Australia, trade from both sides using agreements frequently goes well. On the Indian side, in the first five months of this year, Indian exports of agriculture goods towards Australia and India's exports of iron and steel are up by a quarter, and India's exports towards Australia have gone up to 20 per cent. We are working well but we have to think about how it will grow much in the future by creating free trade between India and Australia through CECA," Green said.
"We think that we can build even better opportunities for businesses, creating more jobs and cheaper commodities to consume in India and Australia. We are keen to resolve the second phase of the free trade agreement between India and Australia; we called it CECA," the envoy added.
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