Key Highlights of PM’s Visit to Australia (2026)

About Key Highlights of PM’s Visit to Australia (2026)

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Australia from 8–10 July 2026 at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for the Third Australia–India Annual Summit in Melbourne.
• Key Outcomes of PM’s Visit to Australia
  • Defence Cooperation:
    • Strategic Framework: India and Australia announced the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation, making defence cooperation a stronger pillar of the partnership.
    • Institutional Cooperation: Both countries established an Annual Defence Ministers’ Dialogue and expanded defence exercises under the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement.
    • Defence Industry and Innovation: The leaders promoted defence industry collaboration, proposed an MoU on Defence Articles and Defence Services, and agreed to explore a bilateral innovation framework connecting governments, industry, academia and research institutions.
    • Military Capacity Building: Both countries strengthened professional military education, joint research, young officers’ exchanges and planned the placement of an Indian military instructor at the Australian Defence College.
  • Maritime Security Cooperation:
    • Maritime Roadmap: Both countries adopted the India–Australia Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap for a peaceful and secure Indo-Pacific.
    • Operational Cooperation: They agreed to cooperate in information sharing, capability development, capacity building and operational coordination.
    • Coast Guard Cooperation: They welcomed the MoU between the Maritime Border Command and the Indian Coast Guard.
  • Economic and Trade Cooperation:
    • Trade and Market Access: The leaders welcomed growing trade under Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) and reaffirmed their commitment to conclude a balanced Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
    • Industrial Cooperation: They highlighted complementarities between Make in India and Future Made in Australia.
  • Critical Minerals and Supply Chains:
    • Critical Minerals: Both countries promoted investment, research, processing and long-term supply arrangements for critical minerals.
    • Supply Chain Resilience: They committed to developing secure and resilient supply chains, particularly for energy and critical minerals.
  • Climate and Technology Cooperation:
    • Climate Cooperation: They reaffirmed cooperation under the Paris Agreement and recognised progress under the India–Australia Renewable Energy Partnership.
    • Technology Partnership: They launched PACTS covering cyber security, critical technologies, supply chains and digital resilience.
    • Innovation Partnership: They welcomed the Australia–Canada–India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership MoU.
  • Space and Nuclear Cooperation:
    • Space Collaboration: Australia reaffirmed support for India’s Gaganyaan Mission and stronger cooperation between ISRO and the Australian Space Agency.
    • Nuclear Cooperation: Both countries finalised the Administrative Arrangement for long-term Australian uranium exports to India for peaceful purposes under IAEA safeguards.
  • Education, Skills and Cultural Cooperation:
    • Higher Education: Both countries expanded Australian university campuses in India.
    • Skill Development: They supported a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Mining in Odisha.
    • Sports Cooperation: They adopted the India–Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap.
    • People-to-People and Culture: They increased Maitri grants, strengthened parliamentary exchanges and advanced the repatriation of cultural artefacts and ancestral remains.
  • Regional and Global Cooperation:
    • Regional Institutions: They strengthened cooperation through the Quad, IORA, IPOI, ASEAN and the Australia–India–Indonesia trilateral mechanism.
    • Counter-Terrorism: They expanded cooperation on information sharing, counter-radicalisation and combating terrorism.
    • Multilateral Reforms: Australia reiterated support for India’s permanent membership of a reformed UNSC, and both countries reaffirmed support for each other’s future non-permanent UNSC candidatures.