This week in Australian foreign affairs: Australia and Indonesia signed a new security treaty in Jakarta, the Government announced multiple senior diplomatic appointments, the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed travel to major defence meetings in Europe, and more.
On 7 February, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Indonesia and signed the Australia–Indonesia Treaty on Common Security with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta. The agreement aims to strengthen defence cooperation between the two countries. During the visit, the Prime Minister also announced new initiatives, including support for joint defence training facilities in Indonesia, the creation of an embedded senior Indonesian military officer role within the Australian Defence Force, and an expansion of military education exchanges for junior leaders. Australia and Indonesia additionally agreed to boost economic cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian Government and Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, to increase two-way investment and information sharing. Prime Minister Albanese said, “This historic treaty recognises that the best way to secure peace and stability in our region is by working together.”
On 8 February, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced the appointment of four senior diplomats to key overseas posts. Robyn Mudie was named Australia’s next High Commissioner to Singapore, Geoff Bowan as Ambassador to Ukraine with non-resident accreditation to Moldova, Tom Wilson as Ambassador to Lebanon, and Neil Hawkins as Ambassador to Israel. The Government stated these appointments are intended to strengthen Australia’s diplomatic engagement and advance cooperation in areas such as trade, security, and regional partnerships.
On 9 February, the Australian Government released a statement expressing concern about the sentencing of Hong Kong media figure Jimmy Lai and his co-defendants. The statement said the prosecution had a chilling effect on free speech and called for the protection of freedoms of expression, assembly, and the media. The Government added that it has raised human rights concerns with both the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities and will continue to do so, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong stating, “We continue to call on China to cease suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, media and civil society, consistent with UN Human Rights Committee recommendations, and to call for the repeal of the National Security Law in Hong Kong.”
Also on 9 February, Minister for Defence Personnel Matt Keogh announced the launch of two new Australian Defence Force space roles, Space Operations Officer and Space Operations Specialist, aimed at expanding Australia’s capabilities in space operations. The roles form part of efforts to build a sovereign space workforce across areas including satellite communications, missile warning, intelligence, and space domain awareness. Keogh said the positions would support Defence in responding to “the most challenging strategic environment since the Second World War.”
On 11 February, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles announced he would travel to Belgium and Germany to attend a series of defence and security meetings. In Brussels, the Deputy Prime Minister is scheduled to attend the 33rd Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting, co-chaired by the United Kingdom and Germany, which brings together more than 50 nations to coordinate the delivery of military aid to Ukraine. He will then travel to Germany to attend the 62nd Munich Security Conference, taking place from February 13 to 15, where he is expected to hold high-level meetings with partners from NATO and the Indo-Pacific. In a statement, Marles said, “Australia is unwavering in our support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion.”
On 12 February, Foreign Minister Penny Wong appointed Pablo Kang as Special Envoy to assist ongoing investigations into the methanol poisoning deaths of Australian citizens Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones in Laos. Kang, a senior official in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was asked to travel to Laos to advance the case and engage with local authorities. The Government said it will continue to support families and press for transparency and accountability in the investigations.
Akshit Tyagi is an intern at Australian Outlook at the Australian Institute of International Affairs. He is a postgraduate student in International Relations at the Australian National University, Canberra, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism. He previously worked as a business reporter in New Delhi and has written for The Canberra Times, Woroni (ANU student media), The Hill, and other publications.
This article is published under a Creative Commons License and may be republished with attribution.
