Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles has indicated that improving military ties between India and Australia, including defence industry collaboration, will be a key focus when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meet for the annual leaders' summit expected in the coming months.
Defence at the Core of Bilateral Talks
Speaking after the second India-Australia Defence Ministers' Dialogue in New Delhi, Marles stated, "Defence will be a key part of the discussions that our Prime Ministers undertake, because in their previous summits, defence has been very central." He added that the two prime ministers have directed the defence ministers to work on strengthening the defence relationship.
Progress on Key Agreements
Marles noted that the two sides are close to finalising a renewal and strengthening of the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation. Significant progress has also been made on the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap, which will be important in the context of the upcoming Prime Ministerial Summit.
"Australia values its defence relationship with India. It is going from strength to strength," the visiting minister said.
Information Sharing and Intelligence Cooperation
Australia and India have discussed establishing an information-sharing agreement, and there has been notable cooperation between their respective defence intelligence organisations over the past six months.
Defence Industry Integration
The defence industry was a key part of the dialogue. Marles highlighted "really significant progress" in defence industry ties between the two countries. He explained that the two sides are exploring various options to increase cooperation and integrate their supply chains.
"Actually, we come out of today's meeting with a much greater sense of optimism about what we can do," Marles said. "It benefits in terms of the Australian industry being able to supply here, but it very much sees benefits in terms of utilising the Indian supply chain, using the Indian defence industry to help contribute to our capability as well."
The dialogue between Marles and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh underscored the growing strategic partnership between the two nations, with defence cooperation emerging as a cornerstone of their bilateral relationship.
