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.
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.