Army Chief meets top Australian Defence Leaders

New Delhi: Army Chief General Manoj Pande has met Australia's Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell and the Australian Chief Army Lt General Simon Stuart on April 6, 2023. During the meetings, both the sides discussed defence cooperation. Earlier, Chief of the Army Staff, who is on a four day visit to Australia, received a Guard of Honour at the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) headquarters.

Indian Army in a tweet said, "General Manoj Pande #COAS received a Guard of Honour at the HQ Australian Defence Forces #ADF. #COAS interacted with Lt Gen Simon Stuart, @ChiefAusArmy and discussed aspects of defence cooperation."

In another tweet, it informed, "COAS Manoj Pande interacted with Major General Richard Vagg, Head Land Capability and Lt Gen Greg Bilton, Chief of Jt Ops. He also visited the Australian War Memorial and laid a wreath at the Last Post ceremony."

Australian Army Chief in a tweet said, "It was my pleasure to host my Indian counterpart General Manoj Pande this week. As our first in-person meeting since assuming our roles, it was an opportunity to discuss deepening our Army engagement and our bilateral activities, including our recent success with Ex Austrahind."

The Army Chief held talks with Australia's Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell, Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Force David Johnston and Air Marshal Robert Chipman and discussed ways to further enhance defence cooperation between the two nations.

Australia-India defence cooperation has been on an upward trajectory with a series of diverse engagements at different levels, in various domains. These include bilateral visits by senior officers, reciprocal courses of instructions and training exercises, among others.

The ever-expanding defence cooperation engagements encompassing a broad spectrum of activities have established a strong bonhomie between the two Armed Forces. The visit of the COAS to Australia is likely to further strengthen the bonds of trust and understanding between the two armies.

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