Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will meet his Australian counterpart and interact with the business community in that country during a two-day official visit to Down Under on October 9 to 10, an official said on October 6. Planned after an invitation from Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, it will be the first-ever visit of an Indian Defence Minister to Australia under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government since 2014.
The visit comes at a historic moment when India and Australia commemorate five years of establishment of India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), an official statement said. The key highlight of Rajnath Singh’s visit will be the bilateral discussions with his Australian counterpart. He will also chair a business roundtable in Sydney, which will be attended by industry leaders from both sides.
Rajnath will also call on other national leaders of Australia. The visit will provide an important opportunity for both sides to explore new and meaningful initiatives to further strengthen the bilateral relationship and the defence partnership, the statement said. During the visit, three agreements are planned to be signed, which will further enhance cooperation in the areas of information sharing, the maritime domain, and joint activities.
