India-Australia two-way trade grew by more than 50 percent in last five years: Envoy Philip Green OAM

Speaking at the  Asia Society Policy Institute, the Australian envoy highlighted his tenure and said: "To me, arriving here in New Delhi is the culmination of my thirty-five-year diplomatic career."

"A career that’s seen me serve as Ambassador or High Commissioner five times. I’ve worked across four continents, presented my credentials to leaders 17 times, and been at the forefront of Australia’s national security policy while in my capital," he said.

"India is the most consequential relationship, at the most critical moment, I have ever worked on," he said.

He said the relationship between India and Australia has reached the highest point in history.

"But I’m not here to rest on laurels. I’m here to get more things done," he said.

He said: "Last year we signed the landmark Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement – ECTA. This deal has provided the momentum for negotiations towards an even more ambitious goal: a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement or CECA."

The Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) entered into force on 29 December 2022.

Speaking on QUAD, the official said: "And while today’s news is that President Biden is unable to travel to India in January, Australia will continue to work closely with India and its other partners to support its efforts to host a Quad Leaders’ Summit next year."

The Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States committed to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient, as per the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.

He highlighted the development of the relationship between India and Australia and said: "And just as the Quad has matured, so our bilateral relationship has come a long way in just five years.The conversation is no longer centred around the things we haven’t done but rather the things we can – and should – do next."

He said India has surpassed China and New Zealand to become the third-largest country of birth for Australians after Australia and England].

"Today, Indians are woven into the contemporary Australian story. That diaspora is educated, entrepreneurial, and engaged," he said.

He emphasized the role played by ECTA in boosting the business relationship between the two nations.

He said: "With ECTA, our industries are partnering together across sectors like horticulture, wine, dairy, cotton and wool. Deeper economic engagement, including through concluding a comprehensive free trade agreement will bring further benefits for those 700 million souls."

He focused on the role both the nations could play in the world of green energy transformation.

"There can be no affordable, scalable renewable solutions without India.And there can be no Indian renewables solutions without inputs from Australia. Our ECTA sets up our industries well with the elimination of tariffs on most critical minerals inputs," he said.