This week in Australia foreign affairs: the Australian Government updated its counter-terrorism sanctions list, announced a range of disaster relief and resilience initiatives, held bilateral talks with Japan and Nepal, co-hosted the Pre-COP Leaders’ Event in the Pacific, and more.
On October 3, the Australian Government brought into effect the re-listing of two entities and 15 persons for counter-terrorism sanctions. They include eight members of a covert Hamas investment network; Neil Prakash, an alleged terrorist and one of Islamic State’s most prominent Australian recruiters; four individuals linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; Islamic State Sinai Province, an extremist group responsible for attacks in Egypt’s North Sinai; and a Gaza-based money transfer business that has provided services to Hamas, Islamic State and al-Qa’ida. The sanctions reinforce Australia’s commitment to countering violent extremism by cutting off the funding that supports terrorist recruitment, attack planning and the spread of hatred.
Early in the week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travelled to Fiji and Tuvalu for the Pre-COP Leaders’ Event, which Australia co-hosted with both countries. Joined by Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen and Special Envoy for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Kate Thwaites, the Prime Minister took part in discussions on clean energy transitions and emissions reduction ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, in November, where Australia will serve as President of Negotiations. The Prime Minister said holding Pre-COP in the Pacific “will allow the world to hear directly from those on the front line of climate change and see the solutions that these nations are leading.”
On October 7, the Australian Defence Force participated in Exercise Bersama Lima 2026, alongside its Five Power Defence Arrangements partners – Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Hosted by Singapore, the exercise trains air, maritime and land forces across a range of security scenarios, enhancing interoperability, collective resilience, and preparedness. The Commander Joint Operations Vice Admiral Justin Jones says exercises such as Bersama Lima “strengthen our combined warfighting capability, integrate high-end military effects and ensure our forces are ready to respond alongside trusted partners when required”
The same day, the Prime Minister released a statement for the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks. Remembering the devastation of the attacks and mourning the 1200 lives lost, the Prime Minister reiterates Australia’s commitment to standing against hatred, racism and antisemitism in all of its forms. He also renewed calls to end the conflict after such terrible suffering and loss of civilian life, and to pursue a just and lasting peace through implementation of the Gaza peace plan and a two-state solution.
In a joint statement with the Ministers for Climate Change and Energy and for Pacific Island Affairs, the Foreign Minister announced Australia’s investment of $3 million to Pacific Islands through the Climate Infrastructure for Resilient Coastlines and Riverbanks project. The project aims to protect communities and infrastructure from the devastating impacts of climate change, combining both traditional knowledge and nature-based approaches to make riverbanks and coastlines more resilient. Minister Bowen says Australia’s support in this project “will help protect road and communication infrastructure in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Kiribati and Tuvalu.”
On October 8, Penny Wong hosted her Nepali counterpart in Melbourne to discuss bilateral relationship and matters relating to Nepal’s recovery and rebuilding following the country’s catastrophic flooding in August. Building on the $11 million given in immediate response efforts, the Australian Government has committed a further $15 million to support Nepal’s recovery and resilience to future disasters. The Ministers also discussed ongoing efforts to seek information about the 34 Australians who remain missing.
The following day, the Foreign Minister’s office urged young Australians planning overseas school leaver celebrations to make safe and informed choices. Through the department’s ‘Schoolies’ partnership with DrinkWise and Red Frogs, resources and advice are available across various digital platforms, including Smarttraveller’s Partying Safely Hub, to promote safe travel behaviour and reduce alcohol-related harm. The Assistant Minister stresses that travel safety “doesn’t start at the airport. It starts well before departure, when young people are planning their trip, booking travel insurance and talking to friends and family about their plans.”
Also on 9 October, an Australian World War Two aviator, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilot Flying Officer Leslie Markland Hough, was commemorated in the Netherlands. Hough died after his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire in WWII. German authorities buried him alongside three of his crew in unmarked graves, and their remains were later interred at Venray War Cemetery. He can now be remembered by name following an extensive investigation by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the United Kingdom’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre and Air Historical Branch, working with the RAAF’s Historic Unrecovered War Casualties team.
The week also saw the launch of the inaugural Australia-Japan Leadership Dialogue, co-hosted by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Announced back in May during the Australia-Japan Annual Leaders’ Meeting, the dialogue brought together leaders from across government, academia, civil society and business. Their discussions focused on the two countries’ shared interests and strategic challenges, set under the overarching theme of “Opportunities for a Resilient Future: Regional Security, Economic Security and Energy Security”.
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