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India’s defence minister has been welcomed by Defence Minister Richard Marles on his first official Australian visit.
Minister Marles welcomed India’s Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, for his first official visit to Australia as a part of the inaugural Australia–India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue. Throughout their talks, the ministers explored a myriad ways to strengthen defence ties and emphasised a range of defence exercises and partnerships currently in place.
“It’s a great pleasure to welcome Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Australia today, the first visit to Australia by an Indian defence minister since 2013. Our meeting today reflects the importance of the Australia–India defence partnership,” Minister Marles said.
Pledging joint commitment to deepening defence ties between the two nations and wider cooperation in maintaining sustainability in the Indo-Pacific region, Australia and India will sign new bilateral arrangements to progress a positive defence relationship.
“The bilateral arrangements that will be signed today reflect the significant growth in our defence partnership and our shared ambition for its future,” Minister Marles said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on X that “Australia and India’s defence partnership keeps getting stronger – built on trust, shared interests and a commitment to a peaceful, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific”.
On the discussion board were naval collaborations, with a Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap being envisioned to promote maritime cooperation. Minister Marles acknowledged India’s naval ship, Kadmatt, which recently participated in Papua New Guinea’s 50th anniversary of independence celebrations and port call in Fiji.
Defence exercises to increase interoperability and military complexity were also part of discussion, with both ministers acknowledging Exercise Pukpuk and Exercise Austrahind as effective training initiatives for both militaries to expand and strengthen their capacities.
“Defence and security cooperation is now one of the strongest pillars of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Minister Marles said.
“We see an increasing tempo of defence engagement, including through India’s inaugural participation in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, our recently-signed Air-to-Air Refuelling Implementing Arrangement, and deepening cooperation in the maritime domain.”
Discussions follow the Australia–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which was launched in 2020 as a measure to promote a “shared vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific”.
