Focus of India-Australia ties is 'peaceful development of Indo-Pacific': Jaishankar

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the peaceful development of the Indo-Pacific is the focus of India-Australia ties and it should be shaped in a participative and collaborative manner."

Following the 2+2 Ministerial meeting with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne, Jaishankar said: "The peaceful development of the Indo-pacific has been our focus. Our two countries believe that it should be shaped in a participative and collaborative manner."

India and Australia held a 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between the nations' foreign and defence ministers in New Delhi on Saturday. The agenda included bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

"We discussed our experiences and further collaboration in responding to the #COVID19 challenges. Decentralised globalisation, strategic autonomy and a sharper sense of national security are some of the relevant outcomes," he added.

Jaishankar also underlined the issues Indian students face in Australia with Payne.

He said, "I also specifically took up with minister Payne the problems faced by the Indian students in Australia and those wishing to go to Australia as well as the Indian origin community that is resident there. I urge that difficulty faced by students due to travel restrictions be sympathetically addressed as soon as possible."

"Today is the 20th anniversary of 9/11. It's a reminder if, one still needed about the importance of combating terrorism without a compromise," Jaishankar said.