: Thursday, July 09, 2026 1:11 PM
Melbourne. India and Australia have issued a joint declaration on defense and security cooperation for the year 2026, giving new strength to their comprehensive strategic partnership. The Prime Ministers of the two countries resolved to intensify cooperation in areas such as defence, maritime security, cyber security, counter-terrorism cooperation and disaster relief, reiterating the common goal of an open, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. The joint declaration said that the strategic, economic and people-to-people relations between the two countries have continued to strengthen following the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2020. India and Australia described their cooperation in various regional and multilateral fora, including the Quad, as important for regional security and prosperity. Both countries expressed concern over the growing geo-strategic uncertainties and challenges to peace and stability in the region. He called on all countries to resolve disputes peacefully without the use of force or pressure in accordance with international law.
The declaration reiterated its commitment to the rules-based international order, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Also supported were the regional roles of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
India and Australia agreed to further deepen defense cooperation through regular consultations on defense matters related to the Indo-Pacific, enhancing the complexity of joint military exercises, strengthening interoperability and information sharing between the armed forces, increasing deployment of military aircraft from each other’s territories, exchange of defense personnel, training and developing skilled human resources for the defense sector.
Considering maritime security as central to the defence, economic and strategic interests of both the countries, it has been decided to prepare an India-Australia Maritime Security Cooperation Roadmap. Under this, the depth, regularity and technical capacity of maritime security cooperation will be increased.
The declaration also resolved to promote integration of defense industries, make defense supply chains more robust and resilient, and promote enhanced cooperation in defense innovation, science and technology. It was also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in cyber security, critical and emerging technologies and supply chains under Australia-India pacts.
India and Australia also decided to enhance exchange of information related to terrorist threats in the region and enhance cooperation in countering new and emerging technologies, terrorism financing, critical infrastructure, maritime domain and online radicalization.
Both countries reiterated their commitment to continue cooperation against irregular migration, human trafficking and transnational organized crime. Also expressed its commitment towards a world free from nuclear weapons, nuclear non-proliferation and verifiable global nuclear disarmament.
In the joint declaration, India and Australia also agreed to enhance cooperation with other Indo-Pacific partners including the US and Japan, strengthen humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations under the Quad, conduct joint exercises, and develop common plans for coordinated response and evacuation operations in third countries in the event of natural disasters and crises.
Both countries said that this ambitious agenda aims to make a concrete contribution to building a peaceful, secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
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Web Title-Consensus Reached on Integrating India-Australia Defense Industries; Joint Declaration Issued for the Indo-Pacific
