MINISTER FOR DEFENCE MEETS WITH REGIONAL COUNTERPARTS AT SHANGRI-LA DIALOGUE 2009

The Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, travelled to Singapore last weekend to attend the Eighth International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue. He was accompanied by the Chief of Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston. The Minister addressed the Shangri-La Dialogue following on from the Prime Minister’s keynote address on Friday.

The Shangri-La Dialogue is the premier event in the Asia-Pacific for discussing defence and security issues with Defence ministers and high level representatives from the region and around the world, including Us Secretary for Defence Dr Robert Gates.

“The Dialogue provides a unique opportunity for me to discuss a number of issues with Defence counterparts from all over the world,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“I was able to have some very productive discussions with representatives from some of Australia’s key partners in the region.”

In the margins of the Dialogue, Mr Fitzgibbon held meetings with counterparts from East Timor, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

“The meetings provided an excellent opportunity to brief my counterparts on our Defence White Paper to discuss Defence cooperation activities and continue dialogue in current operational deployments,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

Speaking with Dr Juwono Sudarsono, Indonesia’s Defence Minister, Mr Fitzgibbon discussed our efforts to further strengthen the defence relationship between Australia and Indonesia. 

During the meeting with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Mr Teo Chee Hean, Mr Fitzgibbon renewed the treaty underpinning Singapore’s use of Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland.

In a meeting with East Timor’s Secretary of State for Defence, Julio Tomas Pinto, Mr Fitzgibbon discussed the future of Australia’s military presence in East Timor and Australia’s enhanced Defence Cooperation Program.

During the meeting with the Republic of Korea’s Minister for Defence, Mr Lee Sang Hee, Mr Fitzgibbon signed the Agreement on the Protection of Classified Military Information. 

“Signing the Agreement represents a significant step forward in our bilateral defence relationship with the Republic of Korea,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

In his meetings with both Mr Lee and the Japanese Defence Minister, Mr Hamada, Mr Fitzgibbon discussed our strong shared concern regarding North Korea’s nuclear test of 25 May, which poses a grave threat to the security of the region.  He also discussed with Mr Hamada opportunities for joint exercises to give practical expression to the Memorandum on Defence Exchange which they signed last December.

In other bilateral calls Mr Fitzgibbon had the opportunity to discuss issues including our Joint Australia-Malaysia Peacekeeping Initiative with Malaysia and people smuggling issues with Sri Lanka.

‘This year’s Shangri-La Dialogue was a resounding success and I appreciated very much the opportunity to once again meet with so many of my counterparts, both formally and informally. The format of the Dialogue allows for great discussion and debate,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

Media contacts:

Clare Enyi (Joel Fitzgibbon):                               02 6277 7800 or 0404 893 565

Defence Media Liaison:                                       02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664