NEW DELHI: India and Australia on Thursday decided to further strengthen their bilateral defence collaboration and military interoperability, inked three key pacts and expressed faith in the “strategic convergence” among the `Quad’ countries, amid the Trump administration signalling that the US may no longer be as invested in its Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China as before.The three agreements signed during the delegation-level meeting between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles in Canberra were on sharing of classified information, mutual submarine search and rescue cooperation, and establishment of joint staff talks.Moreover, the two countries are also seeking to conclude a joint maritime security collaboration roadmap as well as ink a new long-term defence and security cooperation framework to succeed the joint declaration signed in 2009, officials said.
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Amid the raging tariff tensions and plummeting bilateral ties with the US, India is steadily stepping-up bilateral defence cooperation with other `Quad’ countries like Australia and Japan as well as regional players like South Korea and the Philippines, all of whom are deeply concerned over China’s expansionist muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific.Singh’s visit to Australia, the first by an Indian defence minister since the NDA govt came to office in 2014, comes soon after India inked a joint declaration on security cooperation with Japan during PM Modi’s visit to Tokyo on Aug 29.Marles, who had earlier stated that China was “the biggest security anxiety” for both India and Australia, and Singh on Thursday underscored the importance of enhancing cooperation with regional partners to help maintain a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. They expressed their strong support for freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded trade in the region.Noting the “ongoing progress” in defence cooperation among India, Australia, US and Japan, the two ministers also expressed their commitment to enhancing collaboration on maritime domain awareness ahead of the quadrilateral Malabar naval exercise next month and full support for initiatives that advance closer maritime surveillance cooperation among the Quad countries.“We reviewed the full spectrum of India-Australia cooperation, including defence industry, cyber defence, maritime security and regional challenges. We reaffirmed the importance of our comprehensive strategic partnership,” said Singh, who also met Australian PM Anthony Albanese.“We discussed potential for deeper defence industry partnerships. I thank Australia for its steadfast support on cross-border terrorism and shared regional stability. Together, we will deepen cooperation for a free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific,” he added.With Pakistan on his radar screen, Singh reiterated India’s stand 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 come together against all forms of terrorism.Apart from the mutual military logistics support agreement inked in 2020, India and Australia have now also operationalised an air-to-air refuelling pact. Singh was given a live demonstration in this arena on board a KC-30A multi-role transport and tanker aircraft, which refuelled an F-35 fighter enroute to Canberra.
