Australian Deputy PM Marles inspects Tri-Services Guard of Honour in New Delhi

Australian Deputy PM Marles was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Following the inspection, Marles and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will present the opening remarks of the bilateral meeting at Hyderabad House.

Earlier on Monday, Richard Marles was seen enjoying Indian delicacies from the street stalls in New Delhi.

He enjoyed drinking nimbu pani and eating "Ram laddu" from a stall in Delhi. Notably, Marles paid the vendor through the UPI digital payment system.

The Australian leader also paid floral tribute to former Union Minister Arun Jaitley at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Earlier today, the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, along with Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, visited and laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in Delhi.

Later in the day, the two Australian leaders will co-chair the India-Australia 2+2 dialogue with their Indian counterparts, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The second India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue will be held in the national capital on Monday, during which a wide range of strategic, defence and security issues are expected to be discussed between the two countries, an official statement said.

Moreover, the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is a cornerstone of the India-Australia relationship and an opportunity to progress in working together to shape the type of region they want.

Further noting that this year has seen a number of firsts in the India-Australia defence relationship, including an Indian submarine visit to Perth and Australia's hosting of Exercise Malabar, Marles added that all this demonstrates the growing closeness of both nation's defence and security partnerships, according to the Australian Foreign Ministry. (ANI)