Australia and the United Kingdom signed a new defense and security cooperation agreement on Thursday that deepens their strategic relationship, makes it easier for their defense forces to operate together in each other’s countries, and joins Australia’s push for a fledgling nuclear program. Powered submarine program. USA.
Australia said the new security and defense treaty renewed its long-standing relationship with the UK “to meet contemporary challenges”.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marrs said in a statement that as “the world becomes more complex and uncertain, we must modernize our most important relationship”.
The new deal signed on Thursday builds on the 2021 AUKUS alliance, which aims to see Australia build a new multi-billion-dollar fleet of nuclear-powered submarines with help from the United States and Britain.
Marrs later told reporters in Canberra that the far-reaching deal with Britain was vital to Australia’s national security.
He said: “It does reflect that the relationship has become more strategic, has a greater national security dimension. To that end, the UK has a much greater presence in the Indo-Pacific than we have seen in the Indo-Pacific. .”A very long time. We also talked today about AUKUS, which is perhaps the core of the contemporary strategic relationship between our two countries. “
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps is in Australia for the annual Australia-UK Ministerial Meeting (AUKMIN), which was first held in 2006. Bilateral talks will also include support for Ukraine, peace in the Middle East, gender-based violence in the Pacific, climate change and trade, officials said.
The defense treaty signed on Thursday includes provisions to make it easier for Australian and British troops to work together in each other’s countries, just as Ukrainian troops train jointly in the UK. The two sides will also strengthen cooperation in underwater operations, intelligence and military exercises.
Shapps told a news conference in Canberra that the treaty would strengthen global efforts to maintain peace.
“We stand side by side in many, many different ways, and the thing that struck me the most in those first few hours with you today is that distance is not an issue at all for us because of our understanding of the world and what needs to be done The view is unanimous that we are a proactive nation that is ready to stand up and make sure that we do maintain the world order,” he said.
Canberra and London announced the new defense deal a day after Australia hosted a visit from China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Analysts say China’s growing self-confidence is a key motivation behind the trilateral AUKUS agreement, but China accuses Australia, Britain and the United States of having a “Cold War mentality” and says the alliance is embarking on a “wrong and dangerous path”. “
On Thursday, the Canberra government also announced a new multi-million dollar deal to deliver military vehicles to Germany. In one of the largest defense export deals in Australian history, 100 Boxer armored vehicles will be sent to the German army.
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