Navies of India, Australia conclude 3-day talks on maritime operations

The Indian and Australian navies on Wednesday concluded their three-day-long staff talks on issues such as information exchange and maritime operations, according to an official statement.

New Delhi: The Indian and Australian navies on Wednesday concluded their three-day-long staff talks on issues such as information exchange and maritime operations, according to an official statement. Rear Admiral Christopher Smith, Deputy Chief, Royal Australian Navy, and Rear Admiral J Singh, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence, Indian Navy, co-chaired the talks that took place in Delhi.

"Major issues discussed included maritime operations, information exchange and training," the Indian Navy's statement noted. Both sides also acknowledged the growing cooperation between the two navies amid the emerging challenges on the maritime front, and agreed to enhance collaboration and interoperability towards ensuring maritime security in the Indian Ocean region, it mentioned. The relations between India and Australia have strengthened in the last few years.

Both the countries are part of security forum Quad. On April 2, India and Australia signed an economic cooperation and trade agreement under which Canberra would provide duty-free access in its market for over 95 per cent of Indian goods such as textiles, leather, jewellery and sports products. On Tuesday, the Indian Navy's P8I plane reached Australian city Darwin to participate in coordinated maritime operations such as anti-submarine warfare and surface surveillance.

PTI