Australian Deputy PM Richard Marles says that India-Australia defence ties are "at a high-water mark"

Speaking during the bilateral talks in the capital, Marles highlighted the growing institutionalisation of defence ties between Canberra and New Delhi, including the establishment of an annual Defence Ministers' Dialogue.

"Let me just say, it is indeed such a thrill and a pleasure to be back here in India and in New Delhi and to be here with you. I feel very honoured that with you and me, under our respective leadership of our defence establishments, we have elevated the defence relationship between Australia and India to one where we now have an annual Defence Ministers' Dialogue," he said.

He recalled the inagural dialogue held in Canberra in October 2025 and welcomed continued engagement at the ministerial level.

"It was so good to host you in Canberra last year in October for the inaugural Defence Ministers' Dialogue. And it's wonderful to be able to be back here in Delhi to do the second annual Defence Ministers' Dialogue," he added.

Marles pointed to concrete outcomes emerging from the growing partnership, including a new information-sharing arrangement and expanded cooperation across defence domains. He said, "We did an information-sharing arrangement which we signed in October of last year at our inaugural Defence Ministers' Dialogue. As one example, we've seen a whole lot of progress in relation to how that arrangement has been put into place."

He added, "We're doing more in exercises, we're certainly doing more in the maritime domain, and we'll speak about that in our substantive meeting today. But what you're seeing across... we're doing more in defence industry."

Emphasising strategic convergence between the two countries, he said the partnership had reached an unprecedented level.

"We have never been more strategically aligned. And that alignment is underpinned by deep trust. And I think in the history of the bilateral relationship between Australia and India, right now, we are at a high-water mark," he said.

Marles also drew a light-hearted cultural reference linking the India-Australia relationship to cricket and the Indian Premier League, noting shared sporting ties and collaboration.

He said, "When I was here last year, it was the morning after the final of the Indian Premier League, as it is, of course, this morning. Last night, as we saw a year ago, we saw RCB triumph. But I like the fact that Virat Kohli was 75 not out and was man of the match, but alongside him was Josh Hazlewood and Tim David. So there was very much an Australian-Indian bilateral theme at play last night as RCB won the IPL. And that is emblematic, I think, of the relationship between our two countries."

At the end of the remarks, he said, "I very much look forward to our meeting today."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles will co-chair the second India-Australia Defence Ministers' Dialogue in New Delhi on Monday.

The dialogue will review the progress in bilateral defence cooperation and identify new avenues for collaboration, an official statement by the Ministry of Defence said.

As per the statement, the discussions will focus on strengthening defence & security cooperation, enhancing military interoperability, industry collaboration, including co-development and co-production opportunities, and regional & global security developments of mutual interest.

The meeting is expected to further strengthen bilateral defence relations, enhance strategic trust and cooperation, promote stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region and identify new areas of collaboration in defence and security.

The statement highlighted how the visit of Richard Marles follows the inaugural Dialogue held in Australia in October 2025 and reflects the growing momentum in the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. (ANI)