Jaishankar meets Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles; shares assessments on Indo-Pacific, bilateral strategic ties
New Delhi, June 2
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with the visiting Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, to deliberate on regional dynamics, the Indo-Pacific theatre, and the advancement of the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The high-level meeting took place on Monday and served to consolidate strategic understanding and review mutual security interests across the region.
"A pleasure to meet Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles of Australia today. Shared assessments on regional developments, Indo-Pacific and further advancement of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," Jaishankar posted on X following their interaction.
Prior to this engagement, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Marles jointly chaired the second India-Australia Defence Ministers' Dialogue at New Delhi's Manekshaw Centre, exploring avenues to scale up bilateral defence ties.
According to the Ministry of Defence, "The leaders reviewed the progress of bilateral defence cooperation and discussed new opportunities to further advance the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Earlier, Mr Marles was accorded a Ceremonial Tri-Service Guard of Honour upon his arrival."
The ministry further noted that both democracies reiterated their resolve to solidify defence engagement, elevate strategic confidence, and foster peace, stability, and security throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
Reflecting on the bilateral talks, Rajnath Singh shared on X, "Had an excellent meeting with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mr Richard Marles in New Delhi. Together we reviewed the full range of bilateral defence cooperation and discussed ways and means to enhance it further."
He added that "The India-Australia Defence Partnership is poised to make steady progress in the years to come."
Marles emphasised that the discussions focused on converting the profound strategic trust between New Delhi and Canberra into tangible military cooperation.
"This week, we held the second annual Australia-India Defence Ministers' Dialogue, where Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and I spoke about turning our deep strategic trust into practical defence cooperation. Peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific rely on us working closely with our partners. Thank you to Minister Singh for hosting me," the Australian leader stated on X.
The Defence Ministry highlighted that Marles' tour of India succeeds the first iteration of the Dialogue hosted by Australia in October 2025, demonstrating the accelerating pace of 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," the ministry remarked.
— ANI
Reader Comments
India-Australia defence partnership is maturing nicely. But I hope we also focus on economic ties—trade agreements and student exchanges. Defence is important, but our people-to-people connections matter just as much. 🇮🇳🇦🇺
As an Australian-Indian living in Sydney, this fills me with pride. Our countries working together on regional security while my culture bridges both worlds. The ceremonial guard of honour for Minister Marles shows the respect India gives to its partners.
Finally a 'kattar' friend in the region! Australia's pivot towards Asia is real and India is wisely positioning itself. But we need to ensure this strategic partnership doesn't get tangled in Australia's alliance politics with others. Self-interest should guide our deals.
This is nice diplomacy but I hope behind closed doors they also discussed practical issues like maritime security in the South China Sea and countering disinformation. India's leadership in the Indo-Pacific will depend on actions, not just talks.
As someone who works in defence logistics, this bilateral deepening is crucial. Australia's experience in joint operations and India's manufacturing base could complement each other well. The second annual dialogue indicates both sides mean business.
It's heartening that
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