Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said India-Australia ties play a key role as the Indo-Pacific takes center stage in global affairs.
This strategic alignment comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for a visit to Australia, which serves as the second leg of a three-nation tour [1]. The partnership is designed to bolster regional security and economic stability through shared defense and trade frameworks.
Speaking from Sydney on June 15, Morrison said the Indo-Pacific is the absolute center of the world. He said the relationship between the two nations is vital for maintaining a stable regional calculus.
Morrison pointed to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) as primary drivers of recent success. "We have made great progress under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the ECTA trade deal," Morrison said.
The former prime minister also addressed the vulnerability of global commerce. He said that supply chains are being weaponized and argued that the two nations must diversify and build resilience together to mitigate these risks.
Beyond trade, Morrison highlighted the importance of Quad cooperation. This multilateral framework focuses on security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, integrating the interests of Australia, India, the U.S., and Japan.
Morrison said the continued investment in defense and strategic ties will ensure that both nations can respond to evolving threats in the region. He said that the synergy between Delhi and Sydney is not merely economic, but a fundamental requirement for security in the current geopolitical climate.
“The Indo-Pacific is the absolute centre of the world and India-Australia ties play a key role in that.”
The emphasis on supply-chain resilience and the ECTA trade deal reflects a broader strategic shift to reduce dependence on single-source manufacturing hubs. By strengthening the India-Australia axis, both nations aim to create a security and economic counterweight in the Indo-Pacific, utilizing the Quad framework to maintain a free and open region.
