India, Australia ink defence accord

The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed in presence of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Australian counterpart John Howard, envisages cooperation in joint military training, maritime security and defence research and cooperation.

It also provides a joint working group on defence, a mechanism India has with a number of other countries, including the United States, Britain and France.

The defence agreement marks a major shift in Australia's approach in the eighties and early ninetiesa legacy of the Cold War--beset with suspicion of Indian navy's growing clout in the Indian Ocean and South East Asia and New Delhi's strategic objectives in the region.

As part of India's "Look East" policy and growing economic and political engagement with Asean, Indian navy has in recent years held joint naval exercises with some countries of the region, including Singapore, in the Indian Ocean.

After the September 11 terror attack on the United States, Indian navy warships had escorted US cargo vessels in the Malacca Strait, which is a key sea trade route, particularly for energy supplies to the Far East.

In December last year, Indian and Australian navies had signed a pact to cooperate in mine warfare and clearance diving and joint exercises. These proposals are expected to receive a fillip through the MoU signed Monday.