India, Australia promise to boost security cooperation

Payne says both nations want to ensure that Afghanistan ‘never again becomes a safe haven for breeding and training of terrorists’

NEW DELHI

India and Australia vowed on Saturday to deepen their security cooperation, especially following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, as the world marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

India and Australia, along with the United States and Japan, are members of the Quad, an informal grouping of the four large democracies in the Indo-Pacific region formed primarily to address the challenge of an increasingly powerful China.

Developments in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have seized power following the departure of US and other foreign troops ater two decades, were the main topic of talks between Indian and Australian ministers in New Delhi.

The meeting was dubbed India-Australia 2+2 ministerial dialogue.

“Today is the 20th anniversary of 9/11. It’s a reminder of the importance of combating terrorism without compromise,” said Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar after discussions with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne.