Thu Oct 09 14:15:40 UTC 2025: ## India and Australia Deepen Defence Ties with New Agreements
**NEW DELHI, October 9, 2025** – India and Australia have significantly bolstered their defence partnership with a series of new agreements aimed at fostering greater cooperation across multiple domains. The announcements were made following the inaugural Australia-India Defence Ministers’ dialogue held in Canberra on Thursday.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, currently on a two-day official visit to Australia, met with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles to co-chair the dialogue. The meeting, marking five years of the India-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership, saw the signing of three key agreements: an agreement on information sharing, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on submarine search and rescue cooperation, and terms of reference for establishing joint staff talks.
In a statement, the Indian Defence Ministry highlighted the rapid growth of defence engagement between the two nations in recent years. Minister Singh reiterated India’s firm stance against terrorism, emphasizing that “terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and water and blood cannot flow together,” urging the international community to unite against all forms of terrorism.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese briefly joined the meeting, warmly welcoming Minister Singh and reaffirming his government’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. Albanese praised India’s impressive economic growth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, particularly in the defence, cybersecurity, and information technology sectors, and commended India’s success in poverty alleviation.
A joint statement released after the meeting emphasized the “growing depth and mutual trust” that characterizes the India-Australia defence partnership.
Earlier in the day, Minister Singh witnessed a live air-to-air refuelling demonstration aboard the KC-30A MRTT aircraft, which refuelled an F-35 fighter jet en route to Canberra. This demonstration served as a symbolic illustration of growing interoperability between the two countries following the implementation of an air-to-air refuelling agreement last year.
The Australian government’s statement underscored the strategic convergence between the two Indo-Pacific democracies and reflected their shared vision for regional peace, stability, and prosperity. The Ministers welcomed the signing of the implementing arrangement on mutual submarine rescue support and cooperation, hailing it as a major milestone in maritime collaboration.
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