Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted India’s close defence ties with Japan and Australia through the message “JAI: Japan, Australia, India”. He shared the message alongside a photograph with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles.

The message came after Singh held separate bilateral meetings with Koizumi and Marles on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines.

During his meeting with Marles, Singh reviewed bilateral defence cooperation and discussed ways to improve military interoperability and regional coordination. He reiterated India’s commitment to its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia to promote a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific.

Singh also invited Marles to attend Aero India 2027, scheduled to take place in Bengaluru in February.

India’s defence partnerships with Japan and Australia are an important part of its broader regional engagement. New Delhi aims to strengthen these ties through military exchanges, defence industry collaboration and closer strategic coordination as security dynamics across the Indo-Pacific continue to evolve.

The meetings reflect India’s efforts to deepen cooperation with key regional partners and strengthen collective responses to emerging security challenges.

The 13th ADMM-Plus was held in Cebu on October 28–29. The forum brought together ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners, including India, Japan and Australia, to discuss regional security challenges and strengthen multilateral defence cooperation.