Australian Deputy PM Richard Marles to visit India for defence talks

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles will visit India next week to hold talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as part of the 2nd Australia-India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue.

The visit comes after Mr. Marles attends the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, one of the Indo-Pacific region’s leading defence and security forums organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

In a statement, the Australian Government said that during his visit to India, Mr. Marles and Rajnath Singh are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation and discuss ways to further strengthen strategic and military ties between the two countries. The dialogue follows the first edition held in Australia last October and reflects growing momentum in the India-Australia defence partnership.

Ahead of the visit, Mr. Marles said, “In a deteriorating strategic environment, the Shangri-La Dialogue provides an important forum to engage with partners on shared challenges.

“We remain committed to deepening diplomatic and defence relationships to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.”

He further 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.”

At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Mr. Marles will also address regional maritime security issues during a plenary session on Asia’s maritime security challenges and hold meetings with several global and regional defence leaders.