India and Australia, from divergence to convergence

Context:

• • Soon the fifth round of the bilateral Track 1.5 dialogue will set the pace for Canberra’s deepening relationship with New Delhi. It offers an opportunity to take concrete steps to foster mutual nships.

A gradual change

• Factors like, the long shadow of the Cold War, India’s economic policies, the White Australia policy, and Canberra’s decision not to transfer uranium to India had kept the two countries apart for several decades. But that era is truly over now. Indians are today the largest source of skilled migrants in Australia and the economic relationship, already robust, could potentially be transformed if the promise of the new Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) is realized.

Setting markers for ties

• A dialogue is a conversation between equals who have agreed to work as partners. No one just preaches, no one just listens. We are here to provide markers for the future of the relationship between our two great countries. Stable, strong, and sustainable relationships are built not just on the possibility of immediate gains, but on the promise of the future.