The third India-France-Australia Trilateral Focal Points Meeting was held virtually on Wednesday, where the three nations reviewed progress in maritime safety and security, marine and environmental cooperation, and multilateral engagement. This meeting reinforced their commitment to shared values and collaborative efforts towards a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
India was represented by Joint Secretary (Europe West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Piyush Srivastava and Joint Secretary (Oceania and Indo-Pacific) Paramita Tripathi. The French delegation was led by Benoit Guidee, Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Asia and Oceania), while Sarah Storey, First Assistant Secretary, South and Central Asia Division, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, led the Australian side.
The three sides reviewed the progress under the three pillars of trilateral cooperation: maritime safety and security, marine and environmental cooperation, and multilateral engagement, as reported by the Ministry of External Affairs. They also identified new proposals for furthering trilateral cooperation, including initiatives under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) mechanisms, as well as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) cooperation and multilateral engagements.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted the discussions on X, stating that the meeting focused on enhancing cooperation in maritime safety and security, marine and environmental cooperation, and multilateral engagement.
Last year, during the second India-France-Australia Trilateral Focal Points Meeting, the three sides had identified key projects to be initiated, setting a foundation for the ongoing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
