“JAI: Japan, Australia, India“: Rajnath Singh highlights close ties with Pacific partners, holds meeting with his Australian, Japanese counterparts

Japan, Australia, India”, the Defence Minister posted on X, with him holding hands of both Marles and Koizumi, as he stood in the middle.

Highlighting how India has maintained close ties with its partners in the Pacific Ocean, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday posted a picture with his counterparts, Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjirō Koizumi, and the Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles. “JAI: Japan, Australia, India”, the Defence Minister posted on X, with him holding hands of both Marles and Koizumi, as he stood in the middle.

Earlier on Wednesday, Singh held a meeting with Koizumi on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Philippines, and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation. In a post on X, Singh said, "Happy to meet with the Minister of Defense of Japan, Mr. Koizumi Shinjiro, on the sidelines of the 13th ADMM-Plus in Cebu, Philippines."

Highlighting the importance of cooperation between the two countries, the Defence Minister said, "Our shared commitment remains vital for a free, open, and peaceful Indo-Pacific region." Koizumi also thanked Rajnath Singh for the warm welcome and the meeting. He assured of Japan’s commitment to strengthening cooperation between the two countries across various areas, including defence.

On the same day, Singh held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. In a post on X, Singh said the meeting provided an opportunity to review bilateral defence cooperation and discuss ways to strengthen coordination between the two countries.

Emphasising the importance of bilateral ties, Singh said, "India places great value on its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific." Both leaders also exchanged gifts as a gesture of goodwill and friendship. During the meeting, Singh also invited Marles to attend Aero India-2027, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru in February 2027.

The ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN. ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam) and its eight Dialogue Partners (India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) to strengthen security and defence cooperation. (ANI)