New Delhi. India and Australia are likely to sign a logistics sharing agreement for their militaries during the visit beginning January 14 of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison who will be heading a high powered delegation comprising Foreign and Defence Ministers besides Foreign Secretary to expand partnership in the Indo-Pacific region.

Morrison will outline his vision for bilateral strategic partnership through Raisina Dialogue. This will be first big incoming visit of 2020 to India.

Logistics sharing agreements with nations like Australia will significantly enhance the capability of the Navy to operate eastwards, which is an increasing area of interest.

But the agreement should not been seen in the context of the `Quad’ initiative, officials said pointing out that individual relations with the nations have progressed to a level where increasing bilateral activity requires such a pact.

“It is a reciprocal process and these nations find an advantage in using our infrastructure as well for their deployments in the region,” officials said. Engagements with Australia are on the rise with the regular AUSINDEX series as well as other multilateral and bilateral exercises.

India has logistics sharing pacts with USA, France and Singapore and also planning to ink logistics pacts with Japan and Russia.

Australia is emerging as a key partner for Delhi in Eastern Indian Ocean and Pacific region. “India is a great success story of our region. A land of durable institutions and shared values.

A natural partner for Australia.So I am honoured to accept the invitation of my friend Prime Minister Modi to visit India in January, including to deliver the inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue,” Morrison said at the Lowy Institute Lecture in Australia last October.