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In-person Quad meet is a sign of return to normalcy: Australian envoy Barry O'Farrell

In Delhi, Indian and Australian Trade Ministers announced that an Interim FTA will be finalised in a month's time.

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Close on the heels of Quad foreign ministers meet in Melbourne, Australian high commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell has said that the meet is a "return to normal, the normal of in-person meetings". 

Speaking exclusively to our Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Envoy Barry called the "Incredibly important meeting" a demonstration of "4 countries talking about the need to maintain a rules-based order within our region". On Friday, Foreign ministers of India, Australia, the US & Japan met in Melbourne, an in-person meet coming after a gap of over one year. The last in-person meeting had happened in Japan in 2020.

In Delhi, Indian and Australian Trade Ministers announced that an Interim FTA will be finalised in a month's time. Meanwhile, on the possibility of India, Australia, France's Trilateral in Paris, the envoy said that the 3 countries have, "never lost sight" to "our commitment to the Indo pacific". 

Ties between Australia, France had nosedived after the Aukus pact between Washington, London, and Canberra, a fallout that was seen on other trilaterals.

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see Quad meet that happened in your country, in terms of its significance?

Barry O'Farrell: Incredibly important meeting demonstrated so by the in-person presence of foreign ministers of 4 countries talking about the need to maintain a rules-based order within our region. That fits nicely with what we doing in Delhi. Both Indian and Australian governments' are trying to prioritise growth to make counting strong at a time of geopolitical uncertainty.

Sidhant Sibal: China has hit out at Quad, what do you have to say about that?

Barry O'Farrell: Great thing about this thing is Quad countries continue to do what they do, practical things impacting people's lives in the Indo Pacific, from climate change to health to secure supply chains to build the economies. What we are doing in Delhi today is in line with what Quad wants, which is a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo Pacific, rules-based system.

Sidhant Sibal: In Delhi, it has been decided that Interim FTA will come into being a month, where do you see the conversation going?

Barry O'Farrell: Notably, considerable progress is being made. Both the countries’ PMs will be happy when they get a report on what is going on in the last couple of days. But ultimately, what we seeking to do is to maximize the opportunity within both countries and to assist each other to grow economies, create jobs, give people better- living standards and deliver free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, which PM Modi said is the sacred duty of Australia and India.

Sidhant Sibal: A Memorandum of Understanding on tourism was also signed. How will it help in increasing tourism?

Barry O'Farrell: It will become easier for Indians to come to Australia from February 21, when our borders will be open. Currently, no extra cost on visas is levied. But this is just a return to what was happening during the pre-pandemic when we saw strong tourism between India and Australia. It was not just Indians coming to Australia, but Australians were also going to India.

Sidhant Sibal: Can we see more high-level visits between the 2 sides?

Barry O'Farrell: What we have seen with the Quad meeting today is the return to normalcy—the return of in-person meetings. We have seen trade negotiators from Australia this week. Our trade minister is meeting face-to-face with his Indian counterpart. We will see Indian ministers going to Australia in a couple of months.

Sidhant Sibal: The Australian FM going to France is an important visit. Will we see India, France, and Australia trilateral, given Aukus somewhat might turn the wheel back?

Barry O'Farrell: One thing is that France, Australia, and India have never lost sight of their commitment to the Indo-Pacific. Fact that the Australian FM is going to Paris later this month is a great thing, but whether the proposed trilateral happens is up to the Indian and French foreign ministers as well.

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