I will visit Greece, Belgium and Austria this week to advance our relationships with our close partners, discuss shared values, and further common interests including the prosperity and security of the Indo-Pacific region.
During this visit, I will meet with senior members of the Greek, Belgian and Austrian governments, and with international agencies and bodies, emphasising Australia’s commitment to these important bilateral relationships, to multilateralism and to the international rules-based order.
In Greece, I will meet with the President, Foreign Minister and other senior representatives to discuss our economic relationship, share strategic assessments and discuss issues important to us both including gender equality. I will also visit the Tomb of the Fallen soldier to commemorate the sacrifice of those who fought for Australia and Greece during the World Wars, including in the Battle for Greece 80 years ago.
In Brussels, I will meet with senior representatives of the Belgian Government as well as the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships. We will discuss our common values such as democracy, protection of human rights and freedom of speech; our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and our commitment to free trade and addressing climate change.
During my visit to Vienna, in addition to meeting with the Foreign Minister, I will discuss with the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency our shared commitment to the integrity of the global non-proliferation regime. I will also meet with the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Australian Dr Robert Floyd, to affirm Australia’s active commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and our practical contribution to multilateral co-operation.
