India and Australia seal landmark deal on allowing access to military bases for logistics support

In a major development, India and Australia on Thursday inked a landmark deal on allowing access to military bases for logistics support. The Ministry of External Affairs said that this deal was part of the total seven agreements that have been signed between India and Australia following the first-ever virtual summit between the leaders of the two countries. Under the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA), the two countries’ militaries can use each other's bases to carry out repair and replenishment of supplies besides allowing for scaling up of overall defence ties. India already has similar agreements with the US, France and Singapore. “Both sides agreed to continue to deepen and broaden defence cooperation by enhancing the scope and complexity of their military exercises and engagement activities to develop new ways to address shared security challenges,” a joint statement issued after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison read. “Both sides agreed to increase military inter-operability through defence exercises through their Arrangement concerning Mutual Logistics Support,” the joint statement read further. During the talks, the two sides discussed several issues including tackling the growing threat of terrorism, maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, reform in the World Trade Organisation and ways to deal with the coronavirus crisis. The two countries have reached an understanding on enhancing cooperation between their navies and strengthen maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region. “India and Australia are committed to supporting a rules-based maritime order that is based on respect for sovereignty and international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the joint statement read. “Recognising that India and Australia have shared interest in promoting maritime security and safety, they'll deepen Navy-to-Navy cooperation and strengthen maritime domain awareness in Indo-Pacific region through enhanced exchange of information,” it added.