India, Australia agree to boost defense, trade ties

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – India and Australia on Wednesday agreed to boost ties in defense supply chains, critical minerals, and new and emerging technologies, according to an official statement.

This came as Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who is also the country's defense minister, called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

“The two leaders exchanged ideas to further strengthen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which completed five years today,” the Indian government said in a statement.

Marles also held talks with Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh, where they “agreed to intensify and diversify defense industry collaboration,” the Indian Defense Ministry said.

Both sides called for “continued strengthening of bilateral defense cooperation” and their commitment “for achieving their shared objective of peace, prosperity, stability, and progress in the Indo-Pacific region,” the ministry added.

Ahead of his trip to India, Marles visited Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

In Male, the capital of the Maldives, he said that Canberra will donate an Australian-built Guardian-class patrol boat to the Maldives.

Marles also met with Sri Lanka’s Deputy Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Aruna Jayasekara in Colombo on Tuesday, and the two sides discussed ways to expand existing partnerships, foster regional security, and explore new avenues for collaboration in areas such as maritime security, maritime domain awareness, capacity building, and training.