Australian Defence Min to visit India for 2nd Defence Ministers' Dialogue
Canberra, May 28
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles will travel to India, where he will meet with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the 2nd Australia-India Defence Ministers' Dialogue, a statement by the Australian Defence Ministry said.
First held in Australia last October, this meeting reflects unprecedented progress in the bilateral defence partnership and a shared ambition to enhance cooperation.
Before his India visit, Marles will travel to Singapore this week to attend the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, as per the statement.
Convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the annual Shangri-La Dialogue is the region's pre-eminent defence and security forum. It brings together leaders from across the Indo-Pacific and the world to discuss shared international security challenges and responses.
During the Dialogue, the Deputy Prime Minister will address regional maritime security issues during the third plenary session on Asia's Maritime Security Disorder. He will also meet with a range of global and regional defence counterparts, the statement said.
"We remain committed to deepening diplomatic and defence relationships to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific," Marles said.
"Australia and India are top-tier security partners. I look forward meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to further strengthen our defence partnership following the strong progress we made during his visit to Australia last year," the statement quoted him as saying.
Earlier on October 9, 2025, Marles welcomed Singh to Australia for the inaugural Australia-India Defence Ministers' Dialogue. The dialogue reflected unprecedented progress in the bilateral defence partnership and Ministers' ambition to enhance cooperation, following the four bilateral meetings between the Ministers since the elevation of the Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020.
Ministers advanced their Prime Ministers' long-term vision for collaboration between the two countries to enhance collective strength, contribute to both countries' security, and make an important contribution to regional peace and security, the statement read.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Maritime security in the Indo-Pacific is crucial for India's strategic interests. Australia is a reliable partner, especially with Chinese assertiveness in the region.
While defence cooperation is important, I hope our government also focuses on trade and technology partnerships with Australia. A holistic relationship matters more. 🤔
The fact that this dialogue is happening regularly shows how much the relationship has evolved. From being distant friends to top-tier security partners - impressive progress! 🚀
Wait, so the first dialogue was in October 2025? That seems oddly specific for a future date. Either this is a typo or we're getting news from the future! 😅
Always supportive of stronger India-Australia ties. Both countries share democratic values and strategic interests. The Shangri-La Dialogue is a good platform for these discussions.
Hopefully this leads to more joint military exercises and technology sharing. India needs all the help it can get to counterbalance China's regional ambitions.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.