Second Australia-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue- Education, and Migration Remained focal points

The second India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial dialogue held at New Delhi on November 20, 2023. India's Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, convened this dialogue. Joining them were their Australian counterparts, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong.

Both nations lauded the positive momentum of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, emphasizing its contributions to regional security and prosperity. The current robust relationship, strengthened through high-level contacts, has fostered cooperation across diverse sectors, including defence, trade, education, agriculture, cyber, mining, and climate change.

Education, migration, and people-to-people contact

Find below the key points of the dialogue, which emphasized on education, migration, and people-to-people contact:

• Both countries expressed satisfaction with the enactment of the Mechanism for Mutual Recognition of Qualifications, a significant step enhancing collaboration in education and skill development. This mechanism, aimed at promoting balanced mobility, is eagerly anticipated for its swift implementation in accordance with the agreed terms.
• Both Ministers pledged to strengthen their co-operation in advancing the internationalization of education. They admitted their commitment to nurturing institutional linkages through various means such as twinning, joint degrees, and dual degrees. India warmly welcomed the expressed interest of Australian universities in establishing offshore campuses within India.
• The Ministers applauded the inaugural meeting of the Australia-India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The Council, convened to propel bilateral cooperation in six prioritized sectors—health and care, agriculture, renewable energy, digital, mining and logistics—aims to fortify educational partnerships and endorse research through internationalization. In particular, they acknowledged the steps taken towards the Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement (MMPA), highlighting the successful inaugural Joint Working Group Meeting in Canberra on October 13, 2023. The forthcoming launch of the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES), designed to facilitate the mobility of young Indian professionals to Australia, was also commended. The Ministers pledged to collaborate within the framework of MMPA, including the mobility of visitors, students, graduates, academic researchers, business professionals, and other working individuals, emphasizing their joint commitment to combating irregular migration. Bottom of Form

Both countries anticipated the convening of the third 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in 2025.

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- Rajneesh Kumar