This week in Australian foreign affairs: Germany and Australia announce multiple defence arrangements; Minister Penny Wong appoints several new Consuls-General; the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom release a joint statement expressing deep concern over proposed Israeli legislation that would significantly expand the use of the death penalty; and more.
On March 27 it was announced that Australia and Germany had signed a Letter of Intent between Defence and the German warhead manufacturer TDW. This marks a move by the Albanese Government to establish domestic manufacturing of guided weapons. More specifically, the Letter of Intent paves the way for Defence and TDW to explore domestic manufacturing and maintenance options for the Naval Strike Missile and Joint Strike Missile warheads. According to Defence, the Naval Strike Missile and Joint Strike Missile are modern anti-ship cruise missiles that can be deployed against enemy warships or land-based targets.
Defence stated that the activity forms part of the Albanese Government’s investment of up to $850 million to establish domestic manufacturing and maintenance of both missiles at a new world-class facility near Newcastle, developed in partnership with Kongsberg Defence Australia. This investment includes up to $137 million dedicated to establishing domestic manufacturing of priority missile components, including warheads. It is also part of the Albanese Government’s commitment of $16-21 billion over the decade to accelerate the establishment of a sovereign Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise.”
On March 27 it was also announced that the first Australia-built Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles had rolled off the assembly line at Rheinmetall Defence Australia’s Redbank facility in Queensland. Defence announced that a total of 211 Boxers will be built for the ADF under partnership with Rheinmetall Defence Australia (RDA) in a move that aims to boost domestic supply chains. RDA will also produce more than 100 Australian-made Boxer Heavy Weapon Carrier vehicles for the German Army. Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy, spoke about the partnership: “Rheinmetall Defence Australia, their industry partners and a highly skilled Aussie workforce have partnered to deliver this home-grown capability for our ADF. But this partnership with Rheinmetall also shows how closely Germany and Australia are working together on critical military capabilities.”
Announcements, such as these regarding joint defence partnerships between Australia and Germany, reflect a renewed interest by both nations in strengthening their relationship in the face of an increasingly dangerous global order. In addition to these partnerships, Australia has also welcomed recent visits from German leaders such as German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.
On March 28 a statement issued jointly by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan; and Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore announced the Adoption of the WTO Agreement on E-Commerce with interim arrangements. Digital transactions account for over 60% of global GDP, creating a significant need for the implementation of global digital trade rules. The statement affirmed that 66 WTO Members, responsible for approximately 70% of global trade, have adopted “a clear and immediate pathway to implement the world’s first baseline set of global digital trade rules at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) on 28 March 2026.” The statement also confirmed that “The interim arrangements, adopted by the participating 66 WTO Members, would provide a pathway to bring the WTO Agreement on Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce Agreement) into force, while continuing to work towards its incorporation into the WTO legal framework of rules.”
On March 29 Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong announced the appointments of several Consuls-General to overseas posts. These include:
- Ms Maree Ringland as Australia’s next Consul-General in Guangzhou. Ms Ringland is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Australia’s Ambassador to Peru and Bolivia. She has also previously served overseas in China and Chile. As the Consul-General in Guangzhou, Ms Ringland is now overseeing the Consulate-General responsible for advancing Australia’s interests in Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, Guangxi and Hainan. In her announcement of Ms Ringland’s appointment, Minister Wong thanked outgoing Consul-General Timothy Kendall “for his contributions to advancing Australia’s interests in Guangzhou since 2024.”
- Mr Bernard Lynch as Australia’s next Consul-General in Kolkata. Mr Lynch is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Australia’s Ambassador to Jordan. He has also previously served overseas in Saudi Arabia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia and Iran. Regarding the appointment of the Consul-General, Minister Wong said “Australia’s partnership with India is stronger, deeper and more consequential than ever, underpinned by the connections between our peoples. We are Comprehensive Strategic Partners and Quad partners with a shared vision for the Indo-Pacific region. We are broadening the economic, strategic and community ties between our two countries. Under A New Roadmap for Australia’s Economic Engagement with India, Australia is committed to growing and diversifying its economic relationship with India.”
- Ms Kate Wallace as Australia’s next Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City. Ms Wallace is a senior officer in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Assistant Secretary, Multilateral Peace, Security and Candidacies Branch. She has previously served as acting Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Hanoi. Minister Wong said “Vietnam is Australia’s 14th largest trading partner, with two-way trade reaching $28.5 billion in 2024-25. We are working together to further boost trade and investment through the implementation of Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.”
On March 30, Australia released a National Statement to the ICAO Council’s 237th Session condemning Iranian attacks on aviation infrastructure in the Middle East. In the statement, Australia voiced its concerns that “These actions have threatened lives and caused major disruption to global civil aviation”. The statement also reaffirmed Australia’s stance towards the Iranian attacks by saying: “Australia again calls on Iran and its proxies to cease their dangerous and destabilising attacks, which put civilians and civilian infrastructure at serious risk.”
On 31 March the foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, released a joint statement expressing deep concern about a bill that would significantly expand the possibilities to impose the death penalty in Israel. The bill, which was passed on Monday 30 March, has been seen as highly discriminatory as its wording indicates that the death penalty will only be applied to Palestinians. This joint statement echoes concerns made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.
Alexandra Desailly is an Australian Outlook Intern at the Australian Institute of International Affairs National Office. She is one of thirty selected for the Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA) Emerging Leaders Dialogues and the winner of the YAIA Policy Pitch Competition. She holds a Bachelor of International Studies with Distinction from UNSW; her work focuses on European current affairs, national security, and diplomacy.
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