♤ With the changing global scenario, Australia has come to look at India as a potential partner in promoting regional security and stability.

♤ This led to upgradation of bilateral relationship between the two nations to a ‘Strategic Partnership’, including a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation in 2009.

3.2 India-Australia: Institutional Mechanisms

♤ Over the years an array of institutional mechanism has been put in place to promote bilateral co-operation such as exchange of high level visits, Foreign Ministers’ Framework

Dialogue, Joint Trade & Commerce Ministerial Commission, Defence Policy Talks including Policy talks at the level of Senior Officials, Staff Talks, Energy Security Dialogue and Australia-India Education Council, Track-2 Dialogues like Australia-India Leadership Dialogue, Youth Dialogue.

♤ Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue (FMFD), the central mechanism for advancing the bilateral agenda, is held annually, alternatively in India and Australia.