Opening Joint Remarks - Inaugural Defence Ministers' Dialogue

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Minister, welcome. It is very special to have you in Parliament and in Australia. This is the first visit of an Indian Defence Minister to Australia in a dozen years, we are enormously happy to have you here today. You met our Assistant Minister at the airport, we are both very happy to have you here. Our relationship with India – we have had long people-to-people links, we have a lot in common – not least of which is cricket – and that is a shared passion. But in recent times, what we've also had is a deep strategic alignment, and this has been reflected in a growing way. Today's meeting takes this a step further. For the first time, we are instituting our meeting as an Annual Defence Ministers' Dialogue. And we look forward to coming to India to have the second meeting. In terms of elevating this meeting to that, we will be doing more in terms of talks between our two operational commands, we will be doing more in terms of information sharing. We're doing more in respect of signing an MOU around submarine rescue. But all of that is taking our high level strategic alignment and taking this to a much deeper operational level. As a result of what we're doing today, our two defence forces are working much more closely together and will continue to do that as we go forward. This is a meaningful relationship. And it’s my pleasure to be able to work on this together with you. I very much look forward to doing more with you going into the future and I am very grateful for our personal relationship. And Minister, you could not be more welcome in our Parliament today. 

RAJNATH SINGH, INDIAN DEFENCE MINISTER: Excellency, Namaskar and Good Morning. Thank you very much for inviting me to Australia. I am also thankful for the excellent hospitality and traditional welcome accorded to me and my delegation. I was amazed to see the rich cultural heritage of this land as reflected in the welcome. This gesture is also an indication of the commitment India and Australia share to our civilisational values and diversity. It is a great pleasure for me to visit Australia, for the first time. I fondly recall our meeting in June 2025 in New Delhi, which coincided with five years of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. I hope that in the coming years, we are able to work together with renewed momentum, contributing effectively to growth of bilateral Defence relations. During the last three years, we have made significant strides in our defence cooperation, across a wide range of domains, keeping pace with the overall enhancement of our bilateral relations. Excellency, our naval ships frequently visit Australia. These visits underscore the commitment of India to peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, in accordance with our vision of MAHASAGAR, which translates into Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across the Regions. For this security and growth, it is a pleasure to share with you that our bilateral trade has surged under the 2022 Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, boosting investment in renewable technology, and agriculture. Both sides are now engaged in the process to finalise a broader Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. Our people-to-people ties are very strong. The Indian diaspora is enriching Australian society. You would agree that educational and cultural exchanges bring our democracies closer. Our relationship is grounded in shared values of freedom, mutual respect and a dedication to regional peace. Excellency, we have also deepened ties in defence technology, co-development and industrial collaboration, with opportunities for Australian companies under India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat, or self-reliance framework. Our joint efforts in counter-terrorism, cybersecurity and humanitarian assistance have enhanced our resilience against emerging threats. Excellency, this meeting comes at a crucial juncture, as the world witnesses prolonged conflicts, tensions and deals with the menace of cross-border terrorism. India is steadfast in pursuing peaceful solutions while protecting our sovereignty. We value Australia’s unwavering support on matters central to the security of India and her people. I look forward to productive discussions today.