The Indian Express | 1 week ago | 22-06-2022 | 07:40 pm
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral discussions with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who is also defence minister, in Delhi on Wednesday.The two ministers “reviewed strategic challenges and the regional security situation and reaffirmed their shared objective of an open, free, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region,” a joint statement said.“They looked forward to India’s participation in Australia’s Indo Pacific Endeavour exercise in October 2022,” the statement said.Marles is on a four-day visit to India. The two leaders reviewed the defence cooperation activities, “which have been increasing despite challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and discussed ways to enhance further cooperation”.India and Australia are two of the four members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad, along with the United States of America and Japan. The four nations are also regular participants in the Malabar wargaming naval exercise.Singh and Marles “reviewed the defence and security pillars of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” and “reaffirmed their commitment towards implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership based on mutual trust and understanding, common interests and shared values of democracy and rule of law.”The statement said they welcomed the “growing diversity and frequency of defence exercises and exchanges between the two countries and undertook to build upon operational engagements through the India-Australia Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement.”Further, the statement said the two ministers “committed to give a fillip to the India-Australia Joint Working Group (JWG) on defence research and materiel cooperation, which will meet in Australia later this year.”The JWG is a “crucial mechanism for boosting ties between defence industries,” according to the statement.They also discussed opportunities for industrial cooperation between India and Australia to increase the resilience of supply chains and deliver capabilities to their respective defence forces, and also agreed to explore means to increase connections and opportunities between Indian and Australian defence industrial bases.During the virtual summit between the prime ministers of the two countries in March, a young officer exchange programme named after India’s first chief of defence staff, General Bipin Rawat—who died in a helicopter crash in December—was announced.The two defence ministers “welcomed the plan to commence the landmark General Rawat Young Officer Exchange Programme in the latter half of 2022,” the joint statement said.Marles visited the Goa Shipyard Limited on Tuesday and saw a display of India’s growing prowess in indigenous drone development and autonomous vehicle technology.
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