Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles will travel to Singapore this week to attend the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue before heading to India for high-level defence talks aimed at strengthening Australia’s security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.
During the conference, Marles is expected to address maritime security concerns in the Indo-Pacific, focusing on what he described as a “deteriorating strategic environment” and growing regional security challenges.
Following the Singapore visit, the Deputy Prime Minister will travel to India for the 2nd Australia–India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, where he will meet Indian Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh.
Marles said Australia and India are now “top-tier security partners” and highlighted the progress made in defence cooperation, including expanded engagement since the inaugural meeting held in Australia last year.
He said the upcoming discussions would build on momentum across maritime security, interoperability, and broader strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. “In a deteriorating strategic environment, the Shangri-La Dialogue provides an important forum to engage with partners on shared challenges,” Marles said.
“We remain committed to deepening diplomatic and defence relationships to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.
“Australia and India are top-tier security partners. I look forward meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to further strengthen our defence partnership following the strong progress we made during his visit to Australia last year,” he added.
The annual Shangri-La Dialogue, convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, is the region’s leading defence and security forum, bringing together ministers and senior officials from across the Indo-Pacific and beyond to discuss shared security challenges.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
