22 August 2008
New Zealand and Australian Defence Ministers meet in Wellington
The main focus of a meeting in Wellington today between the New Zealand Defence Minister Phil Goff and his Australian
counterpart Joel Fitzgibbon was a review of the closer defence partnership to ensure it continued to be prepared for,
and responsive to, contemporary security challenges, Mr Goff said.
While the two defence forces have always been close, successive deployments on combined and coalition operations have
accelerated efforts to deepen interoperability. The Ministers agreed on the mutual benefits of sustaining this strong
momentum.
The meeting in New Zealand was the first formal annual meeting between the Ministers though they have met previously on
two occasions in Australia to discuss defence issues. Mr Goff and Mr Fitzgibbon welcomed the close working relationship
between the two countries and agreed that today's complex security environment demanded the closest possible
collaboration between the two defence forces at all levels.
The Ministers reaffirmed their mutual commitment to working together to promote and support stability in the Pacific and
in Timor-Leste. They noted that Australia and New Zealand were working effectively in defence and across a wide array of
other agencies to support security, stabilisation and development in the region. Australia and New Zealand's ongoing
efforts to augment national resilience in Timor-Leste demonstrated collective resolve and commitment in this regard.
The Ministers underlined the necessity of Australia and New Zealand continuing their commitment to RAMSI's work and
welcomed its contribution to restoring security and stability in that country. As the Solomon Islands Government and
RAMSI progress a Partnership Framework to agree future priorities, they agreed it will be important to maintain support
but with a greater emphasis on capacity building. They noted that RAMSI's security presence and the stability it
provides have enabled donors to re-engage in support of social and economic development activities, thereby improving
the lives of ordinary Solomon Islanders.
The Ministers acknowledged that the situation in Timor Leste was now more stable, but still fragile. They agreed that
the effectiveness of Australia and New Zealand's combined operational efforts in the Pacific and Timor-Leste reflected
the high levels of interoperability that the two defence forces had now achieved.
Global security issues were also on their agenda. Ministers discussed the security situation in Afghanistan, where both
countries' Defence forces were actively engaged in supporting international efforts to stabilise and provide development
assistance to avert the possibility of Afghanistan once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists and to guarantee a
future for the Afghan people.
The Ministers noted that the range of security tasks overseas necessitated by state fragility and trans-national
challenges continued to generate a very high operational tempo, which was placing strains on both Defence forces. This
made the synergies derived from working very closely together even more important.
The Ministers also reviewed their national capability development programmes, agreeing that the investment by both
countries was essential for their mutual security and prosperity.
Mr Fitzgibbon briefed Mr Goff on the status of Australia's new Defence White Paper, remarking that it would reaffirm the
necessity for strong defence ties between our two countries.
The Ministers noted recent progress in and their support for the Six-Party Talks reflecting both countries' longstanding
commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula. They signalled their support for, and commitment to, growing regional
cooperation in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. The Ministers also underlined their commitment to cooperate
in response to transnational threats including terrorism.
During their meeting the Ministers agreed to update the 2003 Joint Statement on closer defence relations. The new
statement, attached to this release, reflects changes in the security environment over the past five years and
reiterates both Ministers' commitment to meeting them.
ENDS