Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles yesterday said he aims to deepen defense ties with France, Germany and Britain during visits to the European partners this week, while Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (黃英賢) said she would travel to Papua New Guinea (PNG) and East Timor to bolster relations in the Pacific amid growing Chinese influence.
Marles trip, from today to Thursday, would be his first since the Australian Labor Party won a general election in May.
The government said the France stop would help “restore and renew” their bilateral relationship, calling France one of Australia’s “oldest and most capable partners.”
Photo: Reuters
Australia in June reached a 555 million euro (US$553.1 million at the current exchange rate) settlement with French military shipyard Naval Group over its scrapping of a multibillion dollar submarine deal last year.
Canberra hoped the settlement would help repair a rift after the previous administration ditched the deal in favor of building nuclear-powered submarines with the US and Britain under a new alliance dubbed AUKUS.
This week’s trip would also see Marles participate in a roundtable with German defense industry representatives, and in Britain, he would visit shipyards, the government said.
“Our relationship with the United Kingdom is both historic and mutually beneficial, and is reflected through our continued commitment to AUKUS,” Marles said.
“My visit to Europe comes at a time when the war in Ukraine has shown the importance of increasing cooperation with like-minded partners, both in Europe and the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
In June, Marles visited Japan to promote defense cooperation to counterbalance China’s growing military influence in Asia.
Also yesterday, Wong said she would this week travel to PNG and East Timor.
Australia has moved to bolster relations in the region amid growing Chinese influence, including a security pact between China and the Solomon Islands in April.
Wong said she would meet PNG Minister for Foreign Affairs Justin Tkatchenko, recently re-elected PNG Prime Minister James Marape and members of the new Cabinet.
Wong on Wednesday is to travel to East Timor and meet officials including East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Adaljiza Magno.
She said she planned to discuss issues such as Australian support for East Timor’s economic development and its bids to join ASEAN and the WTO.
“Australia is committed to working together with both Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste in the interests of a stable, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Wong said.
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