Barry O'Farrell is Australia's next High Commissioner to India

New Delhi: – Barry O’Farrell, Australia’s new High Commissioner to India, said that Defence and strategic cooperation is the foundation of the Indo-Australian relations. The Australian High Commissioner expressed confidence that India and Australia will set up a more reliable supply chain indicating that the world, which was dependent of China for productions, has learnt a valuable lesson after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

A webinar was arranged in New Delhi on the subject ‘India Australia Partnership in the Indo-Pacific Region’. While speaking at this webinar, the Australian High Commissioner underlined the importance of the Indo-Australian relations. The Australian High Commissioner also emphasised that both India and Australia have a common objective regarding the Indo-Pacific sector. Both the countries want a free and open Indo-Pacific Sector, and he clarified that both India and Australia are committed to this cause. Referring to the ‘Mutual Logistics Agreement’, recently signed between India and Australia, the High Commissioner said that the Indo-Australian cooperation has reached a new height.

The High Commissioner welcomed the agreement saying that this was a historical development. At the same time, the High Commissioner pointed out that the world, which was depending on China, has learnt a big lesson. The Australian High Commissioner informed that both India and Australia had expressed willingness to develop the necessary manufacturing and supply chain, taking the appropriate message from the developments. The High Commissioner said that India and Australia are collaborating to create an alternative to China, which was known as the factory of the world, in different words. Only a day ago, China advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Australia. Before this, it was revealed that China banned Australian exports to China. Australia has retaliated against China by developing cooperation with India on all levels, paying no heed to the Chinese actions. Moreover, the country has consistently delivered the message that partnership with India is an integral part of the Australian foreign policy. The Australian High Commissioner underlined this, once again, during his speech in the webinar.