Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), with discussions focusing on defence cooperation, military interoperability and regional security challenges.
In a post on X, Singh said the meeting provided an opportunity to review bilateral defence cooperation and discuss ways to strengthen coordination between the two countries.
“Delighted to meet Australia’s Deputy PM & Defence Minister, Mr. @RichardMarlesMP, on the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus meeting today,” Singh said.
‘We had productive discussions on reviewing our bilateral defence cooperation, enhancing military interoperability, and addressing regional security challenges,” he added.
Emphasising the importance of bilateral ties, Singh said, “India places great value on its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.”
Both leaders also exchanged gifts as a gesture of goodwill and friendship. During the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also invited Richard Marles to attend Aero India-2027, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru in February 2027.
