India’s Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, will undertake a two-day visit to Australia starting Thursday. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral defense and strategic ties through discussions on ‘new and meaningful’ steps. Three agreements are scheduled to be signed during the visit, focusing on information sharing, maritime security, and collaboration in joint activities. This is the first Australia visit by a Defense Minister under the Modi government since 2014, and it coincides with the fifth anniversary of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
Singh is visiting at the invitation of Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. The visit is seen as an important chance for both sides to explore new and meaningful initiatives to strengthen bilateral relations and defense partnerships. The agenda includes bilateral discussions with the Australian counterpart, a business roundtable in Sydney involving industry leaders, and meetings with other Australian national leaders. India and Australia are expected to conduct a detailed review of the current state of affairs in the Indo-Pacific region. The expansion of defense ties has included extensive interaction between the armed forces, military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity building, training programs, cooperation in the maritime sector, ship visits, and bilateral exercises. The agreements planned for signing are intended to enhance collaboration in information sharing, the maritime sector, and joint activities.