This week I will travel to the Republic of Korea for the Republic of Korea-United Nations Command Member States Defence Ministerial Meeting, and to Indonesia to attend the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus.
The meeting in Seoul will be hosted by the Republic of Korea’s Minister of National Defense, Shin Won-Sik, and the United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III. Korea and the UN Command member states will discuss security and stability on the Korean peninsula and commemorate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement.
Australia remains resolute in supporting the international rules-based order, including through our ongoing commitment to the UN Command in its role maintaining the armistice agreement.
I will then travel to the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Jakarta. This is the region’s premier defence dialogue, bringing together 18 countries to discuss challenges facing the Indo-Pacific.
I look forward to participating in both forums alongside many of Australia’s regional partners. Deepening defence cooperation with our partners, including by supporting the central role of ASEAN, is crucial to stability, prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific.
