Article Posted on : - May 27, 2020

NEW DELHI (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday held a telephonic conversation with his Australian counterpart Linda Reynolds, focusing on taking forward the defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

The two ministers also discussed possible areas of cooperation in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic which has infected over 55 lakh people and killed 3.4 lakh globally.

"Both ministers conveyed their commitment to take forward the initiatives of bilateral defence and security cooperation under the framework of the India-Australia strategic partnership," a statement by the Defence Ministry said.

India and Australia have been ramping up cooperation in the maritime security sector with a focus on ensuring peace and security in the resource-rich Indo-Pacific region.

It said Singh informed Reynolds about India's contribution to the global fight against the pandemic and talked about possible areas of mutual cooperation to deal with the crisis.