Canberra: India and Australia have agreed to deepen their military cooperation in areas such as amphibious operations and unmanned aircraft systems during the latest round of Army-to-Army Staff Talks, held in Canberra from October 29 to 31, 2025. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening regional peace and stability, the Indian Army said.
As part of the visit, the Indian delegation paid homage at the Australian War Memorial and toured the Royal Military College, Duntroon.
The discussions followed the 15th India–Australia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism, also held in Canberra earlier this week. The two-day meeting, held from October 29 to 30, reaffirmed both nations’ firm resolve to combat terrorism, violent extremism, and radicalisation across the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the session was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter-Terrorism), and Gemma Huggins, Australia’s Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism.
In a post on X, Huggins wrote:
“Australia and India remain committed partners in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism across the Indo-Pacific and beyond. We valued the strong and ongoing collaboration demonstrated at the 15th annual Australia–India Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group.”
Officials from both sides reviewed the evolving terrorism landscape at domestic, regional, and global levels. They stressed the need for closer coordination in law enforcement, judicial processes, and maritime security, while condemning the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, with Australia reaffirming its support and solidarity with India.
Recognising the growing misuse of digital platforms by terrorist groups, India and Australia agreed on the importance of timely information sharing and collective efforts to counter online radicalisation and the technological facilitation of terror activities.
Both sides also reaffirmed their cooperation in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, FATF, Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the QUAD framework, underscoring their shared commitment to a coordinated global response against terrorism.
During the visit, the Indian delegation met with officials from Australia’s Federal Police Counter Terrorism Unit, National Emergency Management Agency, and Maritime Border Command, and reviewed operational coordination at the Australian Watch Office and Crisis Centre.
The two nations agreed to convene the next JWG meeting in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.
