New Delhi/Canberra, Sep 8 (UNI) Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Minister for Defence Peter Dutton would be visiting India for the 2+2 talks with their counterparts, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

“These inaugural 2+2 discussions are a cornerstone of the Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which is founded on a shared commitment to a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” Minister Payne said.

The relationship between Australia and India is at an historic high, as our nations work together to promote positive regional cooperation. The Ministers will discuss issues including economic security, cyber, climate, critical technology and supply chains, a media statement from the Australian foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The two will also be visiting Indonesia, South Korea and the US “to advance Australia’s relationships with its close friends and strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region”.

With 2+2 meetings of Foreign and Defence Ministers across four Indo-Pacific countries, this substantive and significant foreign and defence trip strongly reinforces Australia’s active engagement in our region, the statement said.

Cooperation with partners underpins Australia’s approach to the strategic challenges we face in the region. Through these dialogues, we will advance our continuous efforts to work with others to make a positive and proactive contribution to Indo-Pacific peace and stability, it said.

“During our meetings and engagements across the four countries, we will discuss our continuing partnerships to overcome the pandemic, including through the equitable, safe and effective distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, and our shared path to global economic recovery,” Minister Payne said.

“I am very much looking forward to meeting with my counterparts face-to-face to build on our already strong relationships and to discuss further our shared interests in keeping our region safe and secure,” Minister Dutton said.

UNI/RN