MINDEF on world tour

Minister for Defence Marise Payne attended NATO Defence Ministers’ meetings and a series of bilateral engagements in Brussels on 8 and 9 June.

CAPTION: Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne id formally welcomed in Jakarta by Commander Indonesian Armed Forces Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto and a Panglima TNI honour guard.

The meetings in Brussels followed a stopover in the Northern Territory to tour Marine Rotational Force-Darwin activities, bilateral meetings in Indonesia and ‘the Shangri-La Dialogue’ in Singapore.

In Brussels, Minister Payne attended a session on the Afghanistan Resolute Support Mission and a meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria.

Minister Payne said the meetings were important for advancing Australia’s strategic interests in a forum of likeminded partners committed to upholding the rules-based global order.

“I am very pleased with the discussions at NATO Headquarters today. The Coalition is committed to ensuring sustained efforts to project stability and fight terrorism,” Minister Payne said.

“During the Defeat Daesh meeting I reiterated Australia’s commitment to ensuring the success of these combined efforts, and our significant efforts to combat violent extremism in Southeast Asia.”

During her visit to Belgium, Minister Payne met the commanders of Resolute Support and US forces in Afghanistan to discuss operations on the ground.

She also met Defence Ministers from Afghanistan, Canada, France, Iraq, Turkey and UAE to discuss NATO and Coalition security issues, as well as Australia’s interests in maintaining a stable and peaceful Indo Pacific.

“Our region is the focal point for global commerce and transit, and this is accompanied by significant defence and security risks, with global ramifications.

“We are determined in our efforts to shape a regional balance that evolves peacefully and in a manner that upholds global rules and standards.”

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