Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles has described the newly signed defence agreement with India as a “hugely significant step” in strengthening the operational partnership between the two nations’ armed forces.

Marles said, “I think the significance of today is that what we are seeing in terms of deep trust and strategic alignment is now being expressed in a much deeper operational level of engagement between our two defence forces. The Agreement that we have signed in terms of staff talks between our operational commands is hugely significant… We are very excited about that.”

Rajnath Singh, who is on an official visit to Australia, arrived in Canberra on Thursday as part of efforts to expand bilateral defence and strategic cooperation. Earlier, he was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Parliament House by Richard Marles, where a traditional ‘Welcome to Country’ smoke ceremony was held in his honour, a gesture symbolizing respect and acknowledgement of Australia’s Indigenous heritage.

During his visit, Rajnath Singh held comprehensive talks with Marles, focusing on strengthening the India-Australia defence partnership, enhancing maritime security cooperation, and advancing joint initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the region.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also joined the discussions, reflecting Canberra’s growing strategic emphasis on its relationship with New Delhi. Visuals from the meeting showed PM Albanese and Rajnath Singh exchanging a warm handshake, with Deputy PM Marles joining them a strong symbol of the deepening ties between the two Indo-Pacific partners.