Government has indicated that India will be at the heart of its approach to the Indo-Pacific region, with Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, stating that the country is a very important part of our region and our neighbourhood.

This comes as the government released its Foreign Policy White Paper, which outlines the country’s strategic outlook for the next two decades. The paper singles out India as a major strategic partner due to its growing economy and status as a democracy.
It also emphasises the importance of the Australia-India relationship in terms of trade, with two-way trade totalling $24 billion in 2018. The paper pledges to work with India to promote open, rules-based global trade and investment and to support India’s economic transformation.
Albanese noted that the two countries have had a strong relationship for a very long time and that the government is keen to build on this in the years ahead. He added that the White Paper sets out a vision for Australia in the Indo-Pacific, a region that is absolutely crucial to our future.