This week in Australian foreign affairs: Marles in UK and Netherlands for NATO and Defence talks; new military support for NATO in support of Ukraine; additional sanctions on Russians and Russian entities, and more.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles announced on 22 June plans to travel to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. In London, Malres will meet Secretary of State for Defence John Healey to discuss our defence partnership and key strategic challenges. In the Netherlands, the he will represent Australia in key meetings around the NATO Leaders’ Summit.
On 26 June, Marles joined Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong to announce a deepening of collaboration between Australia and NATO in the Netherlands. Expanded cooperation will take place to support Ukraine in the war against Russia. “At the request of NATO and Poland, a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft will deploy to Europe in August to help protect a vital international gateway for humanitarian and military assistance into Ukraine.” Operation KUDU will see up to 100 Australian Defence Force personnel deploy alongside the aircraft, with expected conclusion in November 2025. The commitment brings Australia’s overall support to more than AUD$1.5 billion. Australia also imposed additional financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals, and seven entities. “These sanctions target Russia’s defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda.During the Summit, Australia also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation (NSPO). The NSPO Agreement strengthens Australia’s cooperation with NATO partners on capability acquisition, systems support and logistics. Under the agreement, the Australian Defence Force will be able to gain access to collaborative procurement efforts with NATO partners.”
Also on 26 June, Wong joined Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy to announce a boost in support support for Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Solomon Islands. The support was made at the request Solomon Islands Government. “Australia will provide a comprehensive support package, both for the hosting of this important regional meeting and to bolster the enduring capability of Solomon Islands.” The package will include “approximately 60 security vehicles, support for cybersecurity, upgrades to Honiara’s roads, and approximately $3 million for logistics support” to help ensure “the meeting delivers progress on the region’s priorities and positions Solomon Islands to drive greater regional coordination and unity for the year ahead.” Australia is the Pacific’s largest development partner, with support focused toward “economic growth, sustainable infrastructure, jobs, skills, and connectivity. The PIF Leaders’ Meeting in September will be an opportunity to work together to seize new opportunities and overcome shared challenges.
Minister for Trade and Tourism and Special Minister of State Don Farrell on 26 June announced an investment mission to Singapore and Malaysia. This will be the third mission since the government’s pledge in April to “send five new trade and investment missions to priority markets.” The mission “brings together representatives from 16 leading Australian companies,” and is “led by Shayne Elliott, Australia’s Business Champion to Singapore and former CEO of ANZ Bank, and Tony Lombardo, Business Champion for Malaysia and Group CEO of Lendlease.” According to reports by Austrade, Australian businesses supported more than $1 billion in trade outcomes across Southeast Asia last year, a 45 percent increase on previous years.
This week Pat Conroy travelled to Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Announced on 22 June, Conroy attended “the Melanesian Spearhead Group Leaders’ Summit as a special guest to discuss our common interests in a strong, secure and prosperous region.” He also met with key stakeholders in PNG to “reaffirm our commitment to developing rugby league pathways and establishing a competitive and sustainable PNG NRL franchise for entry into the NRL competition by 2028.” While there, Conroy also delivered “remarks at the 40th Australia-PNG Business Forum to highlight Australia’s support for PNG’s continued economic growth as its largest trading and investment partner.” In the Solomon Islands, Conroy launched the Development Partnership Plan with Solomon Islands Government counterparts. While there, he also met with Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele and “senior ministers to discuss the depth and breadth of our partnership.”
On 24 June, Conroy represented the Australian Government to announce the interim board for the Papua New Guinea (PNG) NRL franchise. Joining with the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Australian Rugby League Commission, the board represents a “major milestone on the road to PNG’s historic entry into Australia’s NRL competition by 2028.” The members of the board include Ray Dib (Chairman), Lorna McPherson, Wapu Sonk,
Ian Tarutia, Marcus Bai, Richard Pegum, and Stan Joyce
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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