India and Australia on Thursday elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed seven agreements, including a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support, as both nations navigate fraught relations with China.
During an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, the two nations signed a wide-ranging maritime declaration to support the rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region founded on respect for the sovereignty of all nations.
The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) will allow militaries of the two countries to use each other's bases for repair