New Delhi : Raksha MantriRajnath Singh and Australian Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Defence Richard Marles co-chaired the second edition of India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue at Manekshaw Centre.
The two Ministers welcomed the significant progress in the bilateral relationship, and reflected on the enhanced consultation & cooperation since the inaugural edition of the dialogue on October 09, 2025.
The 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 & security. They welcomed the progress towards realising their Prime Ministers’ commitment to renew and strengthen the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation.
The two sides discussed advancements in bilateral maritime security cooperation and efforts to finalise the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap. They agreed to progress the collaborative maritime domain awareness activities by maritime patrol aircraft and explore opportunities to enhance undersea domain awareness. They also encouraged further cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and Australia’s Maritime Border Command.
The Ministers affirmed the importance of enhancing cooperation with regional partners to help maintain a free, open, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. They underscored the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, and their strong support for unimpeded trade in the region & other lawful uses of the sea consistent with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
India and Australia, as co-leads of the Indian Ocean Rim Association Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security, look forward to jointly hosting a Search & Rescue and tabletop Exercise at Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Chennai in June 2026 to strengthen maritime safety and security cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region. The two sides undertook to explore arrangements to enhance procedural interoperability for exercises and operations, building on the 2020 Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement. They also agreed to continue aircraft deployment from each other’s territories to build operational familiarity.