Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles pays tributes at National War Memorial
New Delhi, June 1
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles on Monday paid tributes at the National War Memorial here in the national capital.
His visit to India comes as he participates in the annual Defence Ministers' Dialogue.
Australian Ambassador to India, Philip Green welcomed Marles and in a post on X highlighted how the visit reflects the momentum, strategic depth & enduring "dosti" defining the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles will co-chair the second India-Australia Defence Ministers' Dialogue in New Delhi on Monday.
The dialogue will review the progress in bilateral defence cooperation and identify new avenues for collaboration, an official statement by the Ministry of Defence said.
As per the statement, the discussions will focus on strengthening defence & security cooperation, enhancing military interoperability, industry collaboration, including co-development and co-production opportunities, and regional & global security developments of mutual interest.
The meeting is expected to further strengthen bilateral defence relations, enhance strategic trust and cooperation, promote stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region and identify new areas of collaboration in defence and security.
The statement highlighted how the visit of Richard Marles follows the inaugural Dialogue held in Australia in October 2025 and reflects the growing momentum in the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Australia is a key partner in India's vision of a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The visit underscores the growing depth and maturity of the India-Australia defence partnership.
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
Good diplomatic gesture paying respects at the National War Memorial. But I hope these dialogues translate into concrete outcomes, not just photo ops. Indian taxpayers deserve to see real benefits from these partnerships.
Australia is a reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific. Quad meetings and now regular defence dialogues – our relationship has matured well since 2020. Strategic autonomy doesn't mean isolation, and this partnership balances China's growing assertiveness. Well played, India!
As an Australian, I'm proud our defence minister is deepening ties with India. The National War Memorial visit shows respect for your sacrifices. Both our nations face shared challenges in the region – stronger together! 🇦🇺🇮🇳
Co-development and co-production opportunities in defence sector – that's what we need! Make in India should be the backbone of such partnerships. Not just buying weapons but building them together. Let's see some real tech transfer and jobs for our engineers.
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