Indo-Pacific trilateral dialogue

Subject:IR

Context:

With a focus on enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, India, Australia and France held the first trilateral dialogue where they discussed “economic and geostrategic challenges and cooperation” in the region, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and domestic responses to it.

Concept:

• France and Australia are India’s key partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The meeting provided a unique opportunity to build upon the progress that the three countries have achieved bilaterally in recent years, sources said.
• The three sides discussed the emerging challenges in the context of Covid-19, including the financial impact of the pandemic on the Indian Ocean region countries. “
• They also talked about the possibility of “enhancing maritime security cooperation” between the three countries, including in the areas of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime domain awareness, mutual logistics support, capacity-building of friendly countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Sources said cooperation on marine global commons — blue economy, marine biodiversity and environmental challenges such as marine pollution — was on the agenda of the meeting.
• The Indian side underlined its interest in collaborating on sustainable fisheries in the Indian Ocean, technologies for harvesting of Deep Ocean Resources, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, sources said.