The Australia-India-France Senior Officials' Working Group convened via video link on 24 February. Australian representatives from DFAT Mr Gary Cowan (First Assistant Secretary, North and South Asia Division) and Mr John Geering (First Assistant Secretary, Europe and Latin America Division) met Shri Sandeep Chakravorty, Joint Secretary (Europe West), of India's Ministry of External Affairs and Mr Bertrand Lortholary, Director (Asia and Oceania), of France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Officials reviewed progress since the Foreign Secretaries' Dialogue on 9 September 2020 and discussed next steps to advance practical cooperation in maritime safety and security; on marine and environmental issues (including the blue economy, renewable energy, and Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Fishing); and in multilateral fora.

The Australia-India-France trilateral builds on strong bilateral ties among the three countries, and a shared interest in an open, inclusive, and resilient region.