This week in Australian foreign affairs: ANZMIN ministerial consultations; new sanctions announced for Myanmar entities; new aid for Timor-Leste, and more.

On 1 February, Foreign Minister Penny Wong issued a Joint Statement with Deputy PM and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, New Zealand Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters, and Minster of Defence Judith Collins KC, on the inaugural Australia – New Zealand Ministerial Consultations (ANZMIN) 2024. The ministers “affirmed their shared commitment to strengthen[ing] the Australia-New Zealand alliance to address evolving geostrategic challenges,” reiterating that the “security alliance is crucial for safeguarding our national interests and contributing to the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.” The ministers further committed to increasing integration between the respective military forces, “including through common capability, exchanges of senior military officers and increased participation in warfighting exercises.” On the topic of AUKUS, the ministers “acknowledged Australia’s commitment to responsible nuclear stewardship and the highest non-proliferation standard in relation to its acquisition of conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS.”

At the joint media conference, Marles remarked that both nations had “agreed to continue to pursue the Pacific Response Group” initiated at recent South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting in Noumea, December 2023. Additionally, Australia “agreed to send a team to New Zealand very shortly to brief New Zealand on developments in relation to AUKUS, particularly AUKUS Pillar Two.” Upon further questions on the matter, Marles remarked that Australia is “open to the idea of Pillar II being open to other countries who may be interested.”

Also on the 1 February, Wong also issued a joint statement with the High Representative on behalf of the European Union, as well as representatives from Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, marking three years since the military coup in Myanmar. The statement condemned the “the military regime’s ongoing atrocities and human rights violations, such as sexual and gender-based violence, and the restriction of fundamental freedoms including freedom of expression, through peaceful protests and the media.” The statement commended the “constructive efforts of the ASEAN Chairs and Special Envoys” and “strongly encourage unified efforts by ASEAN to resolve the crisis.” An additional call was made to “members of the international community to support efforts to push the Myanmar military to cease violence, to bring about genuinely inclusive dialogue, in order to establish a credible, peaceful democratic future for Myanmar.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade additionally released a media statement outlining further targeted sanctions “on five entities with direct links to the Myanmar military regime.” These are “Two banks that enable the regime’s activities, Myanma Foreign Trade Bank and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank,” and three private sector actors that “supply jet fuel to the Myanmar military, Asia Sun Group, Asia Sun Trading Co Ltd, and Cargo Link Petroleum Logistics Co Ltd.” The release reiterated “Australia’s deep concern for the regime’s ongoing actions, and its continued disregard for international efforts, particularly those of ASEAN, to seek a resolution to the crisis.”

On 30 January, Wong joined Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy in a joint media release on new funding to “Timor-Leste and the Pacific prepare for and respond to the early impacts of El Niño.” Australia will invest AUD$5 million in “supporting the pre-positioning of non-food items, water conservation and storage, establish water systems and support food security.” Australia will work with “the Australian Red Cross and the Australian Humanitarian Partnership” to address the impacts of climate change. Conroy travelled to Dili this week where he met with Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and other senior government ministers.

The Albanese Government announced on 29 January a “$35 million commitment to continue the successful policing partnership between the Australian Federal Police and the Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL).” This is the latest funding round for policing services under the Timor-Leste Police Development Program. According to Conroy, this “new phase of support will explicitly place community policing principles at the heart of the partnership and focus on responding to the needs of women, children and vulnerable persons.” Additionally, a new program of support to assist Timorese workers participating in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme (PALM) has been announced. A media release by Conroy outlined that the “4 million commitment will provide additional social and reintegration support to maximise the ongoing benefits for Timorese workers’ participation in PALM.” The funding is projected to be delivered over four years through the bilateral aid program with Timor-Leste.

Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts announced on 1 February that he will travel “Belgium to represent Australia at the third EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, as part of the Albanese Government’s ongoing diplomatic effort to promote peace and prosperity in our region and globally.” While there, Watts will “meet with European, regional and other partners directly, to discuss geopolitical and security challenges, building economic resilience, climate change and the green energy transition.”

Dr Adam Bartley is the managing editor for AIIA’s Australian Outlook and weekly columnist for The Week in Australian Foreign Affairs. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and resident fellow at the Elliot School for International Affairs, the George Washington University. Adam also has positions as post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation RMIT University  and as program manager of the AI Trilateral Experts Group. He can be found on Twitter here.

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