This week in Australian foreign affairs: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the COP31 Leaders’ Summit, Australia announced new AI safety and security protections, strengthened defence cooperation under AUKUS, advanced diplomatic engagement with India and regional partners, and more.
On 6 November, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced the opening of applications for the 2026–27 Maitri Grants and Fellowships programs, aimed at strengthening cooperation between Australia and India. Delivered through the Centre for Australia–India Relations, the programs support collaboration across business, education, research, culture and sport. The grants will also support the implementation of Australia’s new economic engagement roadmap with India, focusing on priority areas including clean energy, advanced technology, agribusiness and tourism. Since their establishment in 2023, the Maitri programs have supported more than 110 projects.
Later in the week, Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh announced visits to Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Poland to meet Australian Defence Force personnel and strengthen defence relationships. In Malaysia, Keogh planned to visit Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Butterworth, marking 56 years since the first rotation of Australian Army personnel to the base. He also outlined plans to attend Remembrance Day commemorations in the United Kingdom and visit the Royal Navy’s submarine base in Scotland. In Poland, Keogh will visit Australian personnel deployed under Operation Kudu, part of the Norwegian-led mission training Ukrainian soldiers in response to Russia’s invasion.
On 10 November, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a series of international engagements across Türkiye, the Philippines and China, aimed at strengthening Australia’s economic and diplomatic relationships. Following the COP31 World Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, Albanese will attend the 6th ASEAN–Australia Summit and 21st East Asia Summit in Manila, where discussions will focus on regional security and economic cooperation. He will then travel to China for the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen and the Australia–China Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Beijing. The visit will focus on regional trade, economic stability and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The same day, the Albanese Government announced new mandatory AI safety and security protections to be introduced through proposed Australian AI Standards legislation. The measures would require companies developing advanced frontier AI models to identify and manage serious risks, undergo independent evaluations and report significant incidents to the Government. A new AI safety regulator has also been proposed to oversee compliance. The announcement followed the Government’s release of an independent rapid review into an AI-driven cyber incident involving Australian Government websites, including the Medicare Statistics Reporting Service Portal. The review made 18 recommendations, including mandatory incident reporting and stronger international cooperation on AI safety, which the Government has accepted.
The following day, Albanese addressed the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, Türkiye, which Australia is jointly delivering with Türkiye. Under the agreement, Türkiye holds the COP31 presidency and hosts the conference, while Australia, led by Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, serves as President of Negotiations, overseeing the formal climate negotiations. Albanese emphasised the importance of accelerating climate action and securing finance for climate-vulnerable countries, particularly Pacific island nations. He highlighted Australia’s support for the Pacific Resilience Facility, a Pacific-led climate financing mechanism, and called for greater international investment in renewable energy and adaptation. At a separate high-level event on clean energy and electrification, Albanese also backed international efforts to accelerate electrification and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. He highlighted Australia’s renewable energy investments and cooperation with Pacific countries, including support for a major solar and battery project in Palau.
Also on 11 November, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy announced that Western Australian company VEEM had secured its first purchase orders to supply components for United States Navy Virginia-class submarines under AUKUS. The initial contract, valued at approximately $800,000, will see VEEM supply specialised components to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding, one of two US shipyards producing Virginia-class submarines. The announcement represents a milestone in integrating Australian companies into the US submarine industrial supply chain, supporting closer defence industrial cooperation between AUKUS partners.
At the end of the week, the Albanese Government announced an additional $88 million investment over six years to develop the skilled workforce required for Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarine fleet under AUKUS. The investment forms part of the new 2026 Nuclear-Powered Submarine Workforce Strategy, which includes expanded apprenticeship programs and new training pathways across Western Australia and South Australia. The initiatives will support at least 275 apprentices and trainees, alongside improvements to submarine maintenance and training facilities at HMAS Stirling. The Government also highlighted preparations for Submarine Rotational Force-West, which will see US and UK nuclear-powered submarines begin rotational deployments to Western Australia from late 2027.
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