British ministers of defense and foreign affairs arrived for talks in Sydney yesterday on boosting cooperation, including deepening the two countries’ commitment to the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership.
British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy and British Secretary for Defence John Healey were met by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, where talks are expected to focus on boosting trade ties and progressing the AUKUS partnership for the UK and Australia to build a new class of nuclear-powered submarines.
The US is reviewing the trilateral agreement struck in 2021, and has pressed Australia to increase defense spending to counter China’s military build-up in the Indo-Pacific region.
Photo: EPA
A new British-Australian treaty would underpin each country’s submarine programs and is expected to be worth up to £20 billion (US$26.94 billion) to the UK in exports over the next 25 years, the British Ministry of Defence said.
“AUKUS is one of Britain’s most important defense partnerships, strengthening global security while driving growth at home,” Healey said in a statement.
The treaty “confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century,” he added.
Following the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, ministers are scheduled to travel to Darwin, where the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has arrived for the Talisman Sabre war games.
As many as 40,000 troops from 19 countries are taking part in the exercises, which began on July 13 and is to run until Aug. 4.
The Australian military has said the exercises are a rehearsal of joint war fighting that contribute to stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The UK has significantly increased its participation in the exercise cohosted by Australia and the US, with 3,000 troops taking part.
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