Australia’s Connectivity Initiatives in the Bay of Bengal with The Hon. Barry O’ Farrell, High Commissioner of Australia to India

Tuesday, March 29, 2022, 4.00 pm – 5:00 pm Indian Standard Time (IST)

The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) hosted the first Sambandh Policy Dialogue on regional connectivity. This was an online, private, and off-the-record forum for policy-makers and experts to informally exchange perspectives on connectivity and geo-economic relations between India, South, and Southeast Asia, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indo-Pacific regions.

The Hon. Barry O’ Farrell, High Commissioner of Australia to India was our guest speaker for the first dialogue. CSEP President and Distinguished Fellow, Dr. Rakesh Mohan delivered welcome remarks.

Our discussion focussed on Australia’s role in promoting connectivity in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marise Payne, recently announced a new initiative to enhance Australia’s engagement in the region through investment over the next five years in sectors such as maritime shipping, disaster resilience, and information sharing. This follows Australia’s deepening partnerships to improve regional connectivity together with India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and other South and South East Asian countries.

All content reflects the individual views of the speakers. The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) does not hold an institutional view on any subject.