India, Australia sign economic deal to deepen trade ties

FILE PHOTO: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media at Melbourne Commonwealth Parliament Office, in Melbourne, Australia February 11, 2022. Darrian Traynor/Pool via REUTERS

SYDNEY: India and Australia signed a wide-ranging economic pact on Saturday, cutting duties on more than 85% of goods exported to the South Asian nation, as both governments secure alternative supply chains and counter an assertive China.

Closer engagement between the two Quad alliance partners comes even as Australia, along with Japan and the United States, push India to take a stronger stand on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.