Australia Dy PM accepts Rajnath Singh's invitation to visit India for Annual Defence Minister's Dialogue 2026

Canberra [Australia], October 9 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles on October 9.

Following the bilateral meetig, a Joint Statement of the Australia-India Defence Ministers' Dialogue was issued.

"Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Richard Marles MP, welcomed Minister of Defence of India, Rajnath 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. They discussed a Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap to advance maritime cooperation, and looked forward to Prime Ministers renewing and strengthening the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation.

Ministers committed to expand the bilateral defence architecture and enhance consultation and cooperation by conducting an annual Defence Ministers' Dialogue. Ministers welcomed the signing of the Australia-India Implementing Arrangement on Mutual Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation. They welcomed progress towards operationalising the Australia-India Implementing Arrangement on Air-to-Air Refuelling signed in 2024. Ministers highlighted closer cooperation on information sharing.

Ministers were pleased the defence partnership now extended across all domains. Ministers welcomed the establishment of Joint Staff Talks as a forum to progress joint exercises, operations and interoperability across all domains. Australia welcomed India's participation in Australia's Exercise Talisman Sabre in 2025 and looked forward to India's participation in 2027.

Ministers appreciated the growing frequency and complexity of defence exercises and exchanges and the increasing interoperability through implementation of the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement. They welcomed the Royal Australian Air Force's participation in the Indian Air Force's Exercise Tarang Shakti in 2024 as well as the Royal Australian Navy's and Indian Navy's participation in navy-to-navy engagements in 2026. India welcomed Australia's invitation for participation in submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon.

Ministers welcomed additional Indian students at the Australian Defence College in 2026, and a position at the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2027 for the first time.

Ministers underscored the strategic importance of defence industrial collaboration and engagement. They welcomed Australia's first defence trade mission to India from 7 to 10 October 2025 and the inaugural India Pavilion at Australia's Land Forces Expo 2024 as reflecting growth in the bilateral defence industry relationship. Ministers acknowledged the Australia-India Defence Industry Roundtable to be held in Sydney on 10 October. Both sides also agreed to pursue defence collaboration in contemporary technology, including through the Joint Working Group on Defence Industry, Research and Materiel. Australia thanked India for the offer of maintenance, repair and overhaul of Royal Australian Navy ships in Indian shipyards during their deployment to the Indian Ocean Region.

Ministers affirmed the importance of enhancing cooperation with regional partners to help maintain a free, open, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Ministers underscored their strong support for freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded trade in the region, and other lawful uses of the sea consistent with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Ministers were pleased with the collaborative maritime domain awareness and anti-submarine warfare activities by Australian and Indian maritime patrol aircraft in the Indian Ocean. They also agreed to continue aircraft deployment from each other's territories to build operational familiarity. Ministers welcomed the ongoing cooperation under the Australia-India-Indonesia trilateral format to address common challenges.

Ministers welcomed the ongoing progress in defence cooperation among Australia, India, Japan and the United States, underscoring the growing strategic convergence among the partners. They reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing collaboration on maritime domain awareness and looked forward to a second collaborative activity on the margins of Exercise Malabar in November 2025. Australia and India expressed strong support for initiatives that advance closer maritime surveillance cooperation among the four partners and welcomed the opportunity to observe the India-United States air exercise Cope India in 2025 for the first time, alongside Japan.

Both sides noted with satisfaction the growing engagement between their respective Armies. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to deepening army-to-army cooperation, particularly in amphibious exercises and operations, and through participation in exercises such as Exercise Puk Puk. Ministers welcomed the enhancement of Exercise Austrahind in both scope and complexity. They underscored the value of sharing best practices in emerging and critical domains such as integrated air and missile defence, secure communications, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), counter-UAS, and special operations through subject matter expert exchanges.

Ministers acknowledged the participation of Indian Naval Ship Kadmatt in Papua New Guinea's 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations and port call in Fiji, in September 2025. The Deputy Prime Minister invited India to participate in future iterations of Australia's Operation Render Safe.

Deputy Prime Minister Marles accepted the invitation of Defence Minister Singh to visit India for the Annual Defence Ministers' Dialogue in 2026."

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