New Delhi, June 1

The first-ever India-Australia Leaders’ Virtual Summit featuring Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Scott Morrison will break new ground in cooperation in defence and rare minerals, Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell said here on Monday.

The willingness of both sides to sign a logistic sharing access agreement that will give easier access to each other’s military facilities is well known. Australia is also ready to open talks on the supply of seven critical minerals to India that will reduce its dependence on China. This step will also help Australia emerge from its over-dependency on exporting a few select commodities in huge quantities to China. — TNS