Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, will travel to the Philippines this week to represent Australia at the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus).
The Deputy Prime Minister’s attendance at the ADMM-Plus underlines Australia’s strong commitment to a region with ASEAN at its centre.
From 28-29 October, the Deputy Prime Minister will meet with counterparts from across the Indo-Pacific to discuss shared challenges and opportunities for deepening defence cooperation.
He will also hold minilateral meetings with partners on priority areas of strategic collaboration including maritime security, defence infrastructure, cyber security and training and exercises.
Quotes attributable to Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles:
“I welcome the opportunity to deepen defence relationships with some of Australia’s key partners in the region.
“ASEAN sits at the core of Australia’s vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, where all countries are free to exercise their sovereignty.
“The ADMM-Plus continues to provide an important forum for Australia to engage with our partners on shared ambitions.”
