Penny Wong, Richard Marles bolster defence capabilities at AUKMIN meeting and support for Ukraine
Penny Wong and Richard Marles have committed to increasing support for Ukraine and improved defence capabilities in their first official meeting with their UK counterparts in London.
National
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Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles have announced the federal government’s commitment with the UK to help boost military capabilities and defence personnel in their first official meeting with ministers in the Starmer government.
The Australian ministers took part in a series of meetings at Lancaster House in London with the UK’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey on Monday as part of AUKMIN to discuss policy, defence and security – and confirmed that Australia would extend its participation in Ukraine until the end of next year.
Ms Wong and Mr Marles also revealed their commitment to Indo-Pacific Carrier Strike Group deployment alongside their British counterparts to boost warfighting capabilities.
Mr Marles said there had been “an increased tempo in the operations and exercises which are occurring between our two defences”.
“Next year we will see UK Carrier Strike Group come to the Indo-Pacific which will have a huge impact,” he said.
“Today we can announce there will be a number of Australian elements participating in the Carrier Strike Group which will include at times HMAS Sydney and Brisbane, two destroyers which will participate in the Carrier Strike Group’s activities”.
Mr Marles said this will help boost the training regimes that will see, “UK Marines training with the Australian Army in littoral exercises which is so important in developing the mobile army which Australia needs”.
“Today we are announcing that we will extend our participation in Operation Interflex through until the end of 2025”.
Operation Interflex has so far trained 50,000 Ukrainian recruits and Australia has given more than $1.3 billion in assistance.
Ms Wong said she joined with Australia’s British counterparts and “discussed our unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion”.
“We are united in our condemnation of the DPRK’s (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) military co-operation with Russia," she said.
“We’ve co-ordinated closely and been united in our approach to the Middle East and the work to helping break the cycle of violence in the Middle East”.
At AUKMIN it was also confirmed as part of AUKUS a new office will be set up in Bristol in southwest England to co-ordinate British and Australian programs.
Australia will also purchase world-class submarine technology from the UK to improve its detection and tracking capabilities.
Ms Wong was also asked about Australia’s relationship with China and said: “We are very clear-eyed about our relationship with China, I’ve described it in various ways, we co-operate when we can and disagree where we must and engage in our national interest”.
Originally published as Penny Wong, Richard Marles bolster defence capabilities at AUKMIN meeting and support for Ukraine
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