New Delhi, Jun 4: India and Australia on Wednesday resolved to further boost their strategic ties with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailing Canberra’s unequivocal support to New Delhi’s resolute response to the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack.
Singh held wide-ranging talks with his visiting Australian counterpart Richard Marles focusing on various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation as well as New Delhi’s “extreme challenges” along its border with Pakistan.
Marles is the first senior Australian minister to visit India after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese retained power for a second term following victory of his Labor party in the parliamentary elections last month.
His visit to New Delhi coincides with the fifth anniversary of the firming up of India Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that facilitated deeper defence ties between the two sides, especially in the maritime domain.
Following the meeting, Singh thanked Australia for its unequivocal support to India’s “resolute response against the barbaric act of terror in Pahalgam.”
The defence minister said he and Marles reviewed the “full range of the India- Australia defence partnership during the extremely fruitful”.
“His personal commitment and leadership in strengthening bilateral defence cooperation has emerged as an important pillar of our comprehensive strategic partnership,” Singh said in a social media post.
Marles, also Australia’s deputy prime minister, is in India as part of his four-nation trip to South and Southeast Asia.
It is learnt that one of the priority areas of the talks was to bolster bilateral defence ties in the Indo-Pacific — a region that has witnessed increasing Chinese military muscle-flexing.
In his televised opening remarks, Singh made a mention of achieving “significant milestones” in the bilateral defence ties and hoped to work with “renewed momentum” to ensure further growth.
Singh also talked about India facing “extreme challenges” at its western border, apparently referring to Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism.
In his remarks, Marles said, Australia’s relationship with India is that of the “highest priority”.
He also conveyed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s message of solidarity with India over the Pahalgam attack.
We want to make clear that Australia stands with India and all countries in combating terrorism, he said.
The Australian deputy prime minister also welcomed cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan.
We welcome the stoppage in military activities, he said, adding Canberra will continue to work with India to deal with the challenge of terrorism in all its forms.
“We feel we have never had a more strategic alignment with India than we do now. This is a time to make common cause with friends, and we certainly see India in that light,” he said.
“We want to be ambitious about the joint declaration of defence and security. We want to be ambitious regarding the maritime security and cooperation roadmap,” Marles added.
“We see both as two critical steps in elevating our defence relationship further.” The Australian leader said a “broader bilateral relationship” with India is profoundly significant to Australia’s national interest. (PTI)
