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by IANS |
New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will meet his Australian counterpart and interact with the business community in that country during a two-day official visit to Down Under on October 9 to 10, an official said on Sunday.
Planned after an invitation from Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, it will be the first-ever visit of an Indian Defence Minister to Australia under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government since 2014.
The visit comes at a historic moment when India and Australia commemorate five years of establishment of India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), an official statement said.
The key highlight of Rajnath Singh's visit will be the bilateral discussions with his Australian counterpart.
He will also chair a business roundtable in Sydney, which will be attended by industry leaders from both sides.
The Defence Minister will also call on other national leaders of Australia.
The visit will provide an important opportunity for both sides to explore new and meaningful initiatives to further strengthen the bilateral relationship and the defence partnership, the statement said.
During the visit, three agreements are planned to be signed, which will further enhance cooperation in the areas of information sharing, the maritime domain, and joint activities.
Defence engagements have expanded over time to include wide-ranging interactions between the services, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity-building and training programmes, cooperation in the maritime domain, ship visits, and bilateral exercises, the statement said.
India and Australia elevated their bilateral relationship from a Strategic Partnership in 2009 to a CSP in 2020.
The two nations share a deep bond rooted in common values -- pluralistic, Westminster-style democracies, Commonwealth traditions, growing economic engagement, and increasing high-level interactions.
Long-standing people-to-people connections, the presence of Indian students in Australian universities as well as robust tourism and sporting ties, have further strengthened the enduring partnership between the two countries, the statement added.
Marles last visited India in June 2025 and met Rajnath Singh as well as also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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