Australia to host Malabar naval exercise for the first time this August

Australia to host Malabar naval exercise for the first time this August

• The Australian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister are scheduled to visit India in early March
• Australia will host the Malabar multilateral naval exercise, consisting of India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S., for the first time this year.
• “Malabar 2023 is scheduled to be held in August and Australia will host this edition,” official sources confirmed.  “The exercise is likely to be held in Perth.
• Australia was included as a permanent member of Ex Malabar in 2020 amid the standoff with China in Eastern Ladakh. Japan hosted the last edition of Malabar which was held in November 2022 and also marked 30 years of the exercise which began as a bilateral exercise between India and the U.S. in 1992.
• In fact, the Navy Chiefs of the four countries, also part of the Quadrilateral grouping, were present for the inaugural ceremony in Japan last year as the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force also hosted an International Fleet Review and the 18th Western Naval Symposium before the naval war games. 
• The four Navies Chiefs also met and exchanged views on “further enhancing inter-operability” in future editions of the Malabar multilateral naval exercise, according to an official release issued then.
• The exercise has grown in size, scope, and complexity with Anti-Submarine Warfare training emerging as a major focus area in the last few years, especially against the backdrop of the rapid expansion of the Chinese Navy and its increased forays into the Indian Ocean.
•  India’s increasing acquisition of military platforms from the U.S. has increased the commonality of platforms, in addition to New Delhi concluding all foundational agreements.

Ahead of UNGA resolution on Russia, France lobbies New Delhi for vote

• Diplomatic sources say that India’s position will likely be to keep the “balance” and abstain, despite France and other countries reaching out
• France is in talks to convince India to shift its position on the Russian war in Ukraine a year into the conflict, urging the Narendra Modi-led government to vote for a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution due to be tabled this week that will call for a cessation of hostilities, according to diplomatic sources. 
• Thus far, New Delhi has refused to vote for any resolution that is critical of the war, either at the UNGA or at the UN Security Council when India was a member last year.
• At an emergency session beginning on Wednesday, all eyes will be on how each of the 193 countries in the UNGA vote on the resolution that calls for talks to be held between Russia and Ukraine, and for a “lasting peace”. In October 2022, 143 UNGA members had voted to condemn Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territories. 
• Five countries, including Russia, voted against the resolution. India was among the 35 countries that abstained from the vote.