This week in Australian foreign affairs: Albanese in Rome and Singapore; Wong and Thistlethwaite to visit Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu; joint statement on aid to Gaza; statement on Russian sentencing of Oscar Jenkins, and more.
On 17 May, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke with the media from Rome, where he was attending the inauguration of Pope Leo. In a private audience with His Holiness, Albanese marked this momentous occasion for Catholics around the world and for those of faith in Australia. He also formally invited His Holiness to Australia for the International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in 2028. While in Rome, Albanese met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. On questions about an Australian-EU free trade deal Albanese stressed that Australians were keen, but that it wouldn’t be a deal “at any price.” Current negotiations have stalled on agricultural products. On the topic of Australian national Oscar Jenkins, sentenced to 13 years in a Russian prison, Albanese said that “we’ll continue to advocate very strongly on behalf of Mr. Jenkins, and we don’t believe that this is a legitimate decision by a legal process in Russia, that is very politicised as we know.”
On his return, Albanese also met Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong during a stopover in Singapore. The two leaders “shared their perspectives on the regional and global outlook, and recommitted themselves to a substantive upgrade of the Australia-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
Also on 17 May, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong responded to Russia’s sentencing of Australian Oscar Jenkins to 13 years in prison. Wong called the action a “sham trial,” while also noting that as “a full serving member of the regular Armed Forces of Ukraine[…] Mr Jenkins must be given the protections afforded to him as a prisoner of war. Russia is obligated to treat him in accordance with international humanitarian law, including humane treatment.” The government continues “to hold serious concerns for Mr Jenkins.” The statement reads. “We are working with Ukraine and other partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to advocate for his welfare and release.”
On 19 May, Wong joined Assistant Minister for Immigration, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Thistlethwaite to announce visits to Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu to strengthen “our enduring partnership with the Pacific.” In Suva, the ministers will meet with “Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka to discuss strengthening our Vuvale Partnership, deepening our trade arrangements, and boosting our cooperation on development, climate action, and resilience.” Meanwhile, in Nuku’alofa, the ministers will meet with Prime Minister Aisake Eke and Minister for Foreign Affairs and His Majesty’s Armed Forces Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ‘Ulukalala. While there, the ministers will discuss ways to deepen partnerships, including across shared Pacific Islands Forum priorities with Tonga, the current Forum Chair. In Port Vila, the ministers will meet Prime Minister Jotham Napat and senior government ministers to “reaffirm Australia’s commitment to elevate our bilateral relationship through the development of the Nakamal Agreement with Vanuatu, including strengthening our community and First Nations connections.” This will be the first official overseas visit for the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Matt Thistlethwaite.
Wong joined the foreign ministers of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK on 19 May in a joint donor statement on humanitarian aid to Gaza. In acknowledging Israel’s restart of aid to Gaza, the statement highlighted the terrible conditions in Gaza, as well as the lack of basic needs, food, medicines, and essential supplies. The statement calls for the government of Israel to “allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately and enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity.” The statement further reiterates the joint nation message “that Hamas must immediately release all remaining hostages and allow humanitarian assistance to be distributed without interference. It is our firm conviction that an immediate return to a ceasefire and working towards the implementation of a two-state solution are the only way to bring peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long-term stability for the whole region.”
On 21 May, Wong joined Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Disability and the NDIS Mark Butler to announce the adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement. “The Agreement takes account of lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic and supports collective action to address pandemic threats, including by strengthening multi-sectoral disease surveillance and access to vaccines.” The statement notes Australia’s role Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body for the Pandemic Agreement, representing the Western Pacific region. According to the readout, “once the Agreement has entered into force, Australia and our region will be better positioned to reduce pandemic risks and respond swiftly if a pandemic occurs, saving lives and mitigating the impacts on our economies. Australia will retain full sovereignty in making public health decisions which promote the interests of Australians.
Minister for Trade and Tourism and Special Minister of State Don Farrell met with counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and New Zealand to discuss trade relations on 20 May. In releasing a joint statement on shared commitment to regional trade, the ministers outlined the “tremendous potential to grow Australian jobs and businesses through increased trade with Southeast Asia,” and ongoing work in Australia with ASEAN and New Zealand to unlock these benefits, including by “cutting red tape, and making it easier for small and medium sized businesses to benefit from trade with Southeast Asia.” According to the statement, this also includes “boosting investment in the region through our $2 billion Southeast Asia Infrastructure Financing Facility and Investment Deal Teams.”
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 non-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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