India is committed to building a robust partnership with Australia for security and growth of the entire region, said Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday held a meeting with his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton in New Delhi and discussed in length on bilateral defence cooperation and the regional issue.

“India and Australia are keen to work jointly to realize the full potential of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in his statement after the bilateral meeting with the visiting Australian Defence Minister Dutton.

“This partnership is based on our shared vision of a free, open, inclusive and rule-based Indo-Pacific region. Both, Australia and India have tremendous stakes in peace, development and free flow of trade, rules-based order and economic growth in the region,” he added.

The Defence Minister further said that his talks with the visiting Australian Defence Minister focused on bilateral defence cooperation and expanding military engagements across the three services, enhancing defence information sharing, cooperation in emerging defence technologies and mutual logistics support.

As regarding Australia’s joining of the Malabar Exercise last year, he said, “We expressed satisfaction in the continued participation of Australia in the Malabar Exercise this year.”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also apprised his Australian counterpart about India's efforts towards self-reliance and growing innovation ecosystem in India.

“We discussed opportunities to work together in Defence Science and Technology areas,” he said, adding that Australian industry was invited to take advantage of India's liberalised foreign direct investment policies in the defence sector.

“We both agreed that there are opportunities of bilateral collaboration for co-development and co­ production,” the Defence Minister said, adding India is committed to building a robust partnership with Australia for security and growth of the entire region.