ABC News interview, Port Moresby

SUBJECTS: Australia-PNG-Indonesia Trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting; Pukpuk Treaty; PLA-N task group; Support for PNG twins.

MARIAN FAA, JOURNALIST: So Minister, how did this trilateral meeting come about between Australia, PNG and Indonesia? Is it, in part, to allay Indonesian concerns around the Pukpuk Treaty?

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Pukpuk Treaty is about building stability and peace within our region, and it's about building a security architecture within the region. It was really clear to us that when you look at Papua New Guinea, when you look at Indonesia and Australia, we have a shared region, a shared interest, a high degree of trust. And in speaking with both PNG and with Indonesia, it was really clear that this was a meeting which should happen, and this was an architecture that we should put in place. So we're very excited to be in a position of being able to have this first trilateral meeting, which won't be a one off. This will be an annual event between our three countries, and it will build an understanding and a shared security between our three nations.

JOURNALIST: Your counterpart, Minister Joseph has expressed concerns over tensions in West Papua spilling over into PNG. If this happened, what would it take for Australia to step in under– given the provisions of the Pukpuk Treaty?

MARLES: Well, what I'm not going to do is walk down the path of hypotheticals. The Pukpuk Treaty, and the common security treaty that we are working on with Indonesia, are both about developing a shared sense of security and stability and peace within our region. That's what we are trying to put in place. And indeed, this Trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting is an expression of that. And so what we're really doing is building a common understanding between our three countries and a shared security architecture between our three countries, which builds that peace and security. And that is the focus of what we're seeking to do.

JOURNALIST: Do the three countries– are the three countries in agreement or alignment over what the main security threats are in our region?

MARLES: I think there is a high degree of alignment. I mean, we have a shared region and all of us want to see peace and stability, and respect for each other's sovereignty within that region, and dealing with a lot of the common threats that we have. Things like transnational crime is an example of that, and there is huge scope for us to be working closely together in respect of that. So we're really excited about the opportunity of what this meeting will represent, not just tomorrow, but over the long term. And we're excited for having the first meeting of this architecture tomorrow to really look at how we can build that shared understanding. And I think because there is a sense of trust and a sense of alignment, there genuinely is a space in which we can talk about all the issues that face our three countries.

JOURNALIST: You said yesterday you were tracking the Chinese naval task group in the Philippine Sea, which may potentially head towards Australia. If it does, it would likely go through either PNG or Indonesian waters. Have you flagged this activity with Mr Joseph in your meeting today, and do you intend to raise it at trilateral meeting tomorrow morning?

MARLES: Well, what I'm not going to do is give a running commentary on this task group, and I said that yesterday. Obviously, we speak very closely with our friends and allies, and we will do that.

JOURNALIST: Australia recently promised to supply 3,500 Australian made rifles to the PNGDF. There are ongoing reports of military weapons being traded illegally in Papua New Guinea and being used in tribal warfare. So what is Australia doing to ensure that these rifles don’t end up in the wrong hands?

MARLES: Well we are supporting the PNGDF, and we're supporting them in the capabilities that they need. We're also supporting them in building their capacity. You know, we continue to work with the PNGDF to make sure that what it has in place around the security of its arsenals are there, and we will continue to do that. But what we will be is a partner that an alliance expects between our two countries, and in that, we will continue to be a reliable partner. We will provide material to the PNGDF and we will work with them to build their capacity, and that includes around the security of how that material is maintained and handled.

JOURNALIST: Can you give any more specifics around what's being done to ensure the security of weapons (inaudible)?

MARLES: Again, I'm not going to go into the details of that. We are working with PNG in respect of building their capacity. But what we are is a reliable partner which is going to be there to provide support to the PNGDF in every way.

JOURNALIST: On a very unrelated note, and the final question, you may have heard the news about the rare conjoined twins that were born in PNG a couple of months ago. How much financial support is Australia willing to provide to bring the twins into Sydney for surgery?

MARLES: Well look, again, I'm not going to go into the detail of that. Obviously, our thoughts are very much with this family. We are working very closely with our corresponding health agencies in PNG for the very best interests of these twins and their family. Beyond that, I can't really say anything, given the privacy of this family.