India, Australia move to deepen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

10 JULY 2026

India and Australia adopted a Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation, committing to significantly deepen military engagement, strengthen defence industrial collaboration, and expand maritime security cooperation amid growing geostrategic uncertainty in the Indo-Pacific region.
The two countries also sealed pacts on civil nuclear energy and critical minerals sectors.
The agreement on civil nuclear energy to facilitate the commercial supply of uranium from Australia to India to fuel nuclear power projects came nearly 12 years after the two countries inked a historic civil nuclear cooperation pact.
Mr. Modi emphasised the importance of a free and stable Indo-Pacific and highlighted the growing engagement between the two nations in the defence domain. “The Indo-Pacific is not just the confluence of two oceans. It also symbolises the shared aspirations of like-minded democracies like India and Australia,” he said.
They also reiterated support for regional institutions, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association, ASEAN-led regional architecture and the Pacific Islands Forum, describing them as key platforms for addressing regional challenges.