India, France, Australia reaffirm commitment to free, rules-based Indo-Pacific

India, France, and Australia on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to advancing shared values and working towards a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region during the third edition of their Trilateral Focal Points Meeting held virtually.

The meeting reviewed the progress made under the three pillars of trilateral cooperation – maritime safety and security, marine and environmental cooperation, and multilateral engagement, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The three sides identified new proposals to further their trilateral cooperation, including initiatives under the framework of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) mechanisms, cooperation in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), and multilateral engagements.

The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretaries Piyush Srivastava (Europe West) and Paramita Tripathi (Oceania and Indo-Pacific) from the Ministry of External Affairs. Benoit Guidee, Director at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Asia and Oceania), headed the French side, while Sarah Storey, First Assistant Secretary (South and Central Asia Division) at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, represented Australia.

“Discussions covered areas for furthering cooperation under the pillars of Maritime Safety and Security, Marine & Environmental cooperation, and Multilateral Engagement under this framework,” said Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson.

The trilateral meeting reinforced the three nations’ shared vision for a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, a strategic area of growing importance for global trade and security.

Last year, during the second India-France-Australia Trilateral Focal Points Meeting, key projects were identified to be initiated in the coming months to enhance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.