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Rajnath Singh will meet his Australian counterpart and attend key meetings to improve defence cooperation between the two countries.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. (PTI file photo)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Australia next week, from October 7-10, to deepen defence and strategic ties. This would mark the first visit by an Indian defence minister in several years.
Rajnath Singh will meet his Australian counterpart and attend key meetings to improve defence cooperation between the two countries. He is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several Australian leaders from October 8 to 10.
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The Indo-Pacific region is expected to be one of the key issues of talks between Rajnath Singh and his Australian counterpart. Both countries have advocated for free and inclusive Indo-Pacific that is based on international norms.
This visit takes place Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles visited India in June, where they condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and lauded India’s restraint in halting military action against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
“We appreciate the stoppage of military activity, which we see as a strong act of Indian leadership,” Marles said and reiterated that Australia stood in solidarity with India following the April 2025 Pahalgam attack.
Richard Marles was also the first Quad defence minister to visit India since Operation Sindoor, where India launched airstrikes targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan using long-range weapons such as the Brahmos cruise missile in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Indian military targeted nine terror infrastructures that included Markaz Taiba of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Muridke, Markaz Subhan Allah of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in of Bahawalpur and Hizbul Mujahideen’s Mehmoona Joya Facility in Sialkot.
In April, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese extended his condolences over the Pahalgam terror attack and said Australians stand with Indians at this hour in a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India and Australia’s defence and strategic relations have seen significant growth in recent years. In June 2020, the two nations elevated their partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and signed a key agreement granting reciprocal access to each other’s military bases for logistics support.
They also signed a Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) in 2021, which enables the armed forces of both countries to use each other’s bases for refuelling, repairs, and resupply, paving the way for deeper and more robust defence cooperation.
About the Author
Akash Sharma, Defence Correspondent, CNN-News 18, covers the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Railways. In addition, he also follows developments in the national capital. With an extensive experience coverin…Read More
Akash Sharma, Defence Correspondent, CNN-News 18, covers the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Railways. In addition, he also follows developments in the national capital. With an extensive experience coverin… Read More
October 05, 2025, 11:47 IST
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