4 August 2023: The Week in Australian Foreign Affairs
This week in Australian foreign affairs: 33rd AUSMIN, Exercise Talisman Sabre, 70th anniversary of Korean War Armistice, and more.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, and their US counterparts Lloyd J. Austin III and Antony J. Blinken met in Brisbane on 29 July for the 33rdAustralia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN). In a joint statement, the Ministers and Secretaries “determined that the Alliance has never been stronger.” They committed to expanding collaboration with regional partners in the Indo-Pacific, reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The Ministers and Secretaries also committed to working together to address the climate crisis, to strengthen defence and security cooperation, and emphasised their support for a rules-based international trading system. At the AUSMIN lunch, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed Austin and Blinken to Australia, noting that “the relationship between Australia and the United States has never been stronger” and that the meeting “comes at a very important time.”
On 30 July, Marles delivered the opening remarks to Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023. He noted that “there really is a sense that the partner nations, the 13 countries participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre, are building a connectedness with each other in the way in which we go about our work, which enhances the collective security of the Indo-Pacific region. And ultimately, that is what underpins why our defence forces exist in this part of the world.” During the Exercise, an Australian Army ARH-90 helicopter “impacted waters close to Hamilton Island”. Chief of the Defence Force, General Angus Campbell, noted that the recovery effort was “ongoing” and had “the full backing of the entire multinational effort that is present in Exercise Talisman Sabre … especially by the United States and by Canada.”
Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlethwaite spoke in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, where he “celebrate[d] the freedom of South Korea”. Thistlethwaite stated that “following the United States, Australia was the first nation to answer [the United Nations’ call to restore freedom]” and that “it was a call we could not ignore: the fight in Korea was the fight for peace, democracy and a peoples’ right to live in freedom.” He highlighted the bilateral relationship with South Korea, noting that “our shared values of democracy and freedom have made us the best of friends.” He noted that Talisman Sabre was helping to “reaffirm and strengthen our nations’ bonds, while also working to ensure stability and peace in our region.”
Wong and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus acknowledged the World Day against Trafficking in Persons on 30 July and emphasised the Government’s commitment to “tackling these abhorrent crimes.” They also noted that “Australia continues to speak out on the issue in global forums, including as a co-chair of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime.”
On 28 July, Wong, alongside Minister for Finance and Minister for Women Katy Gallagher and Minister for Sport Anika Wells hosted a “landmark” Gender Equality Symposium on the sidelines of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brisbane. The Symposium brought together “leaders from across our region and the world, emerging women’s leaders, human rights advocates, athletes and academics to advance Australia’s interests in gender equality and human rights.” Wong, Gallagher and Wells noted that the Government “is determined to ensure the FIFA Women’s World Cup, hosted by Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, drives progress, not just for women’s sport, but for women everywhere.”
Isabella Keith is a weekly columnist for Australian Outlook. She is also a Research Assistant, Sessional Academic, and Honours student in Law at the Australian National University, with a focus on international law. Isabella attended the AIIA #NextGen study tour to South Korea last year, and was also a delegate to the AIIA’s Australia-Korea-New Zealand and Australia-United States-Japan Policy Forums. She can be found on Twitter here.
This article is published under a Creative Commons License and may be republished with attribution.
