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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of UK in Australia

3rd February 2015

Australia UK Ministerial meeting (AUKMIN) in Sydney

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon have just been in Sydney for the 7th annual AUKMIN talks with their opposite numbers Julie Bishop and Kevin Andrews on 2 February. This is a big event, with participants also including the Chiefs of Defence and senior officials from each country.

AUKMIN 2015: Ministers Philip Hammond, Julie Bishop, Michael Fallon and Kevin Andrews held talks in Sydney this week.
AUKMIN 2015: Ministers Philip Hammond, Julie Bishop, Michael Fallon and Kevin Andrews held talks in Sydney this week.

PM Tony Abbott hosted us for dinner at his Kirribilli residence on Sunday night and Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove welcomed us at his magnificent Admiralty House residence, where the meeting took place. We arrived by boat from the Man o’ War steps next to the Opera House. As anyone watching the media will know, there has been a lot going on in Australian politics this week, so the commitment of the Australian ministers to the AUKMIN programme is a good indicator of the value they attach to this relationship.

With so much happening in the world right now, there was a lot to talk about. Inevitably there was a significant focus on the fight against ISIL and domestic terrorism. We also discussed Russia and Ukraine; the Asia Pacific region; and our respective Defence strategies, with Australia currently working on a Defence White Paper, and the UK planning its Strategic Defence and Security Review refresh later this year. You can read the transcripts of the AUKMIN press conference.

In addition to the formal meeting, Michael Fallon also visited the new HMAS Canberra, whilst Philip Hammond had a bilateral with the Foreign Minister and gave an interview to the Sydney Morning Herald. All four ministers went to Martin Place to lay wreaths at the Sydney Cenotaph, before meeting NSW Premier Mike Baird and signing the book of Condolences at the Lindt café, scene of the dreadful siege in December.

This was my fifth and final AUKMIN. I have seen the process develop, assisted by the consistency of attendance of many key personnel, so that the discussions are genuinely frank, informal and wide-ranging. Meanwhile, under the AUKMIN leadership, we have seen a significant intensification of the relationship between FCO and DFAT. Mr Hammond and Ms Bishop signed an MOU on consular crisis cooperation.

About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.

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