NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India and Australia sealed a deal on Thursday to get access to each other’s military bases, the Indian foreign ministry said – a pact that would clear the way for more military exchanges and exercises in the Indo-Pacific.

The mutual logistic support agreement was signed during a virtual summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.

India has a similar pact with the United States which is seen as part of a broader security cooperation to balance China’s growing economic and military weight in the region.