Australian Deputy PM Richard Marles to watch India-Australia World Cup cricket final in Ahmedabad

New Delhi, November 18

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will pay a two-day visit to India beginning Sunday to attend the second edition of the “2+2” ministerial dialogue between the two countries.

Announcing Marles’s visit, the defence ministry said he would also attend the Cricket World Cup final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is also visiting India to join the dialogue that will take place in Delhi on Monday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the talks.

The defence ministry made the announcement on Saturday about the visit of Marles to India. He is also serving as the Australian defence minister.

“Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles will visit India from November 19 to 20 to co-chair the second India-Australia 2+2 ministerial dialogue with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh,” it said in a statement.

The ministry said Singh and Marles would hold a bilateral meeting on November 20 that would be followed by the “2+2” dialogue.

It said the “2+2” dialogue would be co-chaired by Singh and Jaishankar, along with their Australian counterparts.

“India and Australia are pursuing a comprehensive strategic partnership and the visit of Minister Marles is expected to give further impetus to the collaboration as well as bilateral defence cooperation,” the defence ministry said.

“The two countries are expected to discuss wide-ranging issues of mutual interest during the 2+2 dialogue and the bilateral defence ministers’ meeting,” it added.

The inaugural “2+2” ministerial dialogue between India and Australia took place in September 2021.