Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese
NEW DELHI: To strengthen Indo-Australian defence partnership during PM Narendra Modi’s visit, India and Australia on Thursday adopted a new joint declaration on defence and security cooperation, committing to significantly deepen military engagement, strengthen defence industrial collaboration and expand maritime security cooperation.PMs Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese reaffirmed that defence and security cooperation is a cornerstone of the partnership in an increasingly complex strategic environment. They announced the joint declaration on defence and security cooperation, reflecting a step change in the depth and ambition of the bilateral defence and security relationship, and contribution to regional strength and security.The PMs also welcomed the establishment of an Annual Defence Ministers’ Dialogue as a mechanism to enhance consultation and cooperation. They noted with satisfaction the growing frequency and complexity of defence exercises and exchanges under the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement. They were pleased to note that the defence partnership now extends across all domains, and emphasised the importance of deepening interoperability, including with multilateral partners, the joint statement said.Modi and Albanese underscored the centrality of maritime cooperation to their shared vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo Pacific. The duo agreed to enhance maritime cooperation through the India-Australia maritime security collaboration roadmap. Through this, India and Australia reaffirm their shared commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific recognising that effective maritime cooperation is essential to regional security, it said.They agreed to collaborate in areas of information sharing, capability development, capacity building and operational coordination. The PMs welcomed the conclusion of an MoU between the Maritime Border Command and the Indian Coast Guard to support a secure maritime environment.The PMs also acknowledged the significance of defence industry, research and material cooperation. They welcomed the ongoing work to develop an MoU for the provision of defence articles and defence services, and efforts to promote connections between Australian and Indian defence industries, including through Australia’s first defence trade mission to India and the Australia-India Defence Industry Roundtable.Acknowledging the significance of professional military education, joint research, wargaming and capacity building initiatives for future-ready military personnel, the PMs highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation on professional military education. The two also encouraged continued strengthening of linkages between military education institutions of both countries. They looked forward to the placement of a visiting military instructor from India at the Australian Defence College in 2028-2029. They welcomed Australia’s upcoming hosting of the fourth iteration of the General Rawat India-Australia Young Officers’ Exchange Program.Modi and Albanese also undertook to explore the establishment of a bilateral innovation framework to connect the ecosystems of both countries and accelerate collaboration among governments, industry, academia, and research institutions. They underscored the importance of expanding defence science and technology research cooperation into new areas to promote innovative solutions to advanced capability priorities.
