Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to Australia from 8-10 July 2026 for the Third Australia–India Annual Summit in Melbourne. The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to further consolidate and expand the India–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to respond to emerging challenges in a rapidly evolving global environment. They announced a Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation, reflecting a step-change in the depth and ambition of the bilateral defence and security relationship. The declaration underscores the growing strategic alignment between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in response to shared concerns about maritime security and regional stability.
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The Prime Ministers welcomed the establishment of an Annual Defence Ministers’ Dialogue as a mechanism to enhance consultation and cooperation. They noted with satisfaction the growing frequency and complexity of defence exercises and exchanges under the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement. The defence partnership now extends across all domains, with emphasis on deepening interoperability. The leaders agreed to enhance maritime cooperation through the India-Australia Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap, reaffirming their shared commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The roadmap includes joint patrolling, information sharing and capacity building for regional partners, reflecting a practical approach to addressing common challenges.
The Prime Ministers acknowledged the significance of defence industry, research and material cooperation. They welcomed ongoing work to develop a Memorandum of Understanding for the Provision of Defence Articles and Defence Services, and efforts to promote connections between Australian and Indian defence industries. Both leaders looked forward to the placement of a visiting military instructor from India at the Australian Defence College in 2028-2029 and welcomed Australia’s upcoming hosting of the fourth iteration of the General Rawat India-Australia Young Officers’ Exchange Program. These initiatives are designed to build people-to-people links between the two militaries and foster mutual understanding of each other’s operating environments.
