3rd AUSTRALIA-INDIA DIALOGUE: Key Points 1 DECEMBER 2020 - The 3rd Australia-India Dialogue took place virtually on 1 December 2020. The

Context for Discussions There was agreement that the discussions were taking place against a turbulent backdrop - the ongoing impact medically and politically of the COVID-19 pandemic; the increasingly assertive behaviour of China and its ramifications regionally and more widely; and leadership change - most notably in the US and Japan - and the impact of that regionally and globally. [...] India welcomed the Quad because it engaged the US, but also added cryptically that the US need not be the lynchpin in the grouping. [...] It came at a time when the international system was already stressed due to rebalancing of the global economy and power equations, disenchantment with globalisation and concerns about inequity, the failure of the multilateral system to effectively grapple with the challenges of terrorism and climate change, and the emergence of new threats in the digital and cyber domains. [...] The forward momentum of the Quadrilateral dialogue and the invitation to Australia to participate in Exercise Malabar have enhanced security ties between the two nations. [...] DPG and AUS CSCAP delegations will meet virtually under the Chatham House Rule on December 01, 2020 to discuss global and regional developments and the advancement of the India-Australia strategic partnership for a stable and secure future for the Indo-Pacific.