India and Australia on Thursday signed an agreement to upgrade their relationship from a strategic partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement.
In this context, Newsmobile explores what constitutes a strategic agreement, its importance and India’s agreements with other members of the international community.
What constitutes a Strategic Partnership Agreement?
Two nations establish diplomatic ties and cooperate to further their mutual national interest.
Also Read: NewsMobile Explainer: Significance of Indo-Australian relations
Strategic Partnership Agreements define the areas in which the nations agree to cooperate.
It could include but not limited to Nuclear Energy, Defence, Science and Technology, Culture, economics, cyber technology, education and more.
A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on the other hand includes a greater number of areas and its signing signifies a deep bond of friendship between the two nations.
What is the importance of these agreements?
In the older days, these agreements signified ‘alliances between states’ in case of wars.
Now, it has acquired a different meaning.
First and foremost, these agreements provide some sort of direction to the nations to pursue their relationship and explore the whole gamut of areas that can transform the ties into a meaningful one.
Secondly, symbolism in diplomacy is important. These agreements signify a close relationship.
Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership agreements signify that the two nations consider each other to be allies and partners in the region and beyond. Usually, a nation signs these agreements with only a handful of other nations.
It signifies an up-gradation of ties. For example, India and Australia signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2009 and it was only in 2020 that the two nations signed the Comprehensive Strategic partnership agreement.
Lastly, these agreements only provide some sort of direction, as mentioned before. Nations further negotiate agreements in each area. For example, Agreement on Space technology signed between India and Australia.
Which are the other nations with whom India has signed a strategic partnership agreement with?
India has signed a strategic agreement with more than 35 nations to date including China and France.
However, it has accorded the status of a Comprehensive Strategic Partner to only a handful of nations that include Russia, the US, Japan, and Australia.
The Agreement with the US was signed during US President Donald Trump’s visit to India in February 2020.