Context

• The second India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue will be organised between the Australian Defense Minister and the Indian Defense Minister.

 Key Points

• Richard Marles is visiting India from 19 to 20 November 2023 for this talk.
• There will be a bilateral meeting on defence cooperation on November 20 followed by a 2+2 dialogue.
• The 2+2 dialogue talks will be co-chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar along with their Australian counterparts, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
• It is noteworthy that the 2+2 ministerial dialogue was inaugurated in New Delhi in the month of September 2021.
• The 2+2 dialogue and bilateral Defence Ministers' meeting discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest between the two countries.

 Background of India Australia relations

• Australia and India first established diplomatic relations before independence, when the Consulate General of India was first opened as a trade office in Sydney in 1941.

 Multilateral Cooperation

• Member of ASEAN Regional Forum, Quad, Commonwealth, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Asia Pacific Partnership on Climate and Clean Development, APEC.
• Both countries also cooperate as members of the Five Interested Parties (FIP) in the WTO context.

 Exam Related Facts

• Australia
• Capital: Canberra
• Prime Minister: Anthony Albanese
• Currency:Australian dollar