10 October,2025 03:49 PM IST | Sydney | mid-day online correspondent
Australia`s Assistant Minister of Defence, Peter Khalil, with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. PIC/X
Australia's Assistant Minister of Defence, Peter Khalil, on Friday described the relationship with India as "better than it has ever been", underlining the vast potential for deeper engagement across strategic, economic, defence, and cultural domains, news agency ANI reported.
Speaking to ANI during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Australia, Khalil said, "This visit has been remarkable. It has been a great honour to welcome Defence Minister Singh to Australia, to show him the beautiful city of Sydney, and to also have this defence roundtable with the defence industry, where we can talk about the type of collaboration that will expand the defence relationship as well."
He also termed the visit historic, pointing out that it is the first by an Indian Defence Minister to Australia in 12 years. He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Sydney last year, which saw tens of thousands gather in celebration of the strengthening ties between the two nations, ANI reported.
Highlighting the contributions of the Indian diaspora in Australia, Khalil said, "The contributions that Indians have made to this country are top shelf. The contribution across so many industries and sectors is what makes Australia successful."
He stressed that the Australia-India partnership is built on shared values, mutual trust, and a joint commitment to a free, open, and stable Indo-Pacific region.
"Our partnership, the true partnership that we have, that grows more integrated, that has more cooperative elements to it every day, is actually critically important for both our nations, the challenges that we jointly face globally," Khalil said.
He further underscored the cultural connection and enduring friendship between the peoples of both nations, noting that this people-to-people bond is a source of resilience in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
On the economic front, Khalil referred to the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), which came into effect in December 2022, as a cornerstone for enhancing trade and economic cooperation.
"Together, all of these elements reflect our shared commitment to a dynamic partnership that leverages human capital and economic opportunity. Those ties, human and economic, are two of the three key pillars of cooperation between our nations. The third, of course, is defence," he added.
Khalil emphasised that defence and security collaboration has emerged as one of the strongest aspects of the strategic partnership. This includes maritime domain awareness, information sharing, science and technology cooperation, and joint military training.
India's debut participation in Talisman Sabre, Australia's premier multilateral military exercise, was cited as a reflection of the growing strategic convergence between the two countries. Khalil also welcomed discussions between defence industry, research, innovation, and business leaders during Australia's first-ever defence industry trade mission to India.
Following the bilateral meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh posted on X, stating that the discussions had "advanced industrial partnerships & capability development in our mutual defence sectors, further strengthening the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership."
The defence roundtable was attended by India's High Commissioner to Australia, Gopal Baglay, along with Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan and Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, as well as senior defence and industry officials from both nations.
(With inputs from ANI)
