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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to travel to Australia next week

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to travel to Australia next week

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Photograph: (ANI)

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Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Australia from October 7–10, marking the first Indian defence ministerial trip there in nearly 12 years. The visit aims to deepen defence ties.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Australia next week, from 7th to 10th October, for the first such visit by an Indian defence minister to Down Under in almost 12 years. The last visit was by the then Defence Minister AK Anthony in 2013.

Earlier this year, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles visited India, a visit during which both sides agreed to diversify defence industry collaboration in co-production and technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and undersea capabilities. Richard Marles was the first Quad defence minister to visit India since Operation Sindoor, which saw Indian strikes on terror camps in Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. During the visit of Deputy PM Marles, India had cautioned Australia over engagement with the Pakistani military over its links with China. Later, speaking to Australian media, Marles had said that Australia has "modest" defence linkages with Pakistan.

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Australia's defence engagement with India gathered significant momentum after both sides became Comprehensive Strategic Partners in 2020 and signed a Mutual Logistics Support Agreement in 2021. 2023 saw an Indian submarine visiting Perth, and both sides conducted a trilateral sail with Indonesia. The Indian Navy also visited Australia's strategic Cocos (Keeling) Islands that year.

At the Annual Leaders’ Summit in November 2024 in Brazil, the prime ministers of both countries welcomed arrangements for enhancing maritime domain awareness and increased and reciprocal defence information-sharing to deepen operational defence cooperation.

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Fromdefenceto trade, from mobility and migration partnership to work and holiday visa program, both countries have been working in a range of areas asAustraliadiversifiesits partnership in the Indo-Pacific, andIndialooks to up its engagement in the wider Pacific.

About the Author

Siddhant Sibbal

Siddhant Sibbal, covers diplomacy and defence for WION since 2018. He has been charting Indian diplomacy, including India's rise on the global stage. He has covered major internati...Read More