UK Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper: Well Penny, Richard, welcome. It is a huge pleasure for us to have you here. This is such an important relationship for us, with a strong history that we have between our countries, but also so much of our shared interests and shared values in the face of such huge global insecurity and instability. And at a time when that instability feels greater than ever, at a time we have seen not just the conflict in the Middle East, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz having the impact on our global economy, but also the changing geopolitics with China in the Indo-Pacific, the challenge to European security from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the impact that that is having on security, and the need for both of our countries to strengthen our defence. To strengthen our defence in partnership, but also to strengthen our defence across the board, but also to cooperate around our shared values, around the rule of law, around the economic trade, and around the prosperity of our countries.
At times of such instability, the work that our countries have done together continues to be immensely important, and we look forward to discussing issues around global security, issues around our economies, and issues around the future of our nation, and what happens across the world over the course of this afternoon.
UK Defence Secretary, John Healey: To echo a couple of things from Yvette, we met 12 months ago and the world is undoubtedly more dangerous, less certain during that time. Not just the Middle Eastern conflict; the rising Russian aggression and activity, and the demands on all its partners that the US is rightly placing for us to step up on our own security. And I think in this day and age, three things signify the imperative of countries like ours: hard power, strong alliances, sure diplomacy. And on all three, some of our closest, most reliable ally is Australia. As you say, we share a mindset, we share values, we share a commitment to each other. And this is a very special opportunity, not just for our two nations to reinforce the partnership we have, but at a personal level, as labour politicians and close friends, it is part of the cement that keeps our two countries close together.
Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles: Well, Yvette and John, thank you very much for having Penny and I and our delegations here. We're very mindful that we meet at a time where you've had a significant tragedy in your defence force last week, and we very much send our condolences to the families of those who are affected. I was messaging you, and it is the most difficult moment to be a defence minister, and I very much acknowledge that in terms of what you've gone through, but obviously our thoughts are principally with their families, and obviously we acknowledge the other events that have played out in the last few days.
We are so pleased to be here. John, you talked about the fact that over the last 12 months the world has got more difficult. We handed down our National Defence Strategy seven weeks ago now, we do that every two years, and it made the similar observation that over the course of the last two years, since we last handed it down, all the challenges that we're facing have become more acute, more unpredictable, more volatile.
We are seeing that in terms of a significant closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the impact that the closing of that sea lane is having on cost of living right around the world, definitely fuel security in our part of the world, and actually I think around the world as well. The war in Ukraine continues. In respect of both, I think I would want to acknowledge and thank you for your leadership, for the UK's leadership. We greatly appreciate that. We see the rules-based order also being under pressure in the Indo-Pacific, and in that moment, having a partnership with a country where we share values, where we've got close strategic alignment, where there is complete reliability, but which is underpinned by an absolute sense of trust - and that's how we would very much characterise this relationship - is so precious.
We really cannot overstate how much we value this. John and I met 10 days ago in Singapore for the AUKUS Defence Ministers' Meeting. We'll talk about that, no doubt, in terms of the bilateral aspects of that during the course of our meeting, but there's really solid progress on that, and that continues to be a program which underpins our relationship. But we are just very, very thankful for this relationship, and that's really, I guess, what we bring in our sense of feeling to the meeting that we're having today.
Foreign Minister, Penny Wong: Well Yvette, John, thank you for hosting us. It's wonderful to be back here, and Yvette, you said in your remarks we share values and interests. We do. It's a really trusting and trusted relationship. We also share history, and one of the things that has been important to us has been the way in which we have collectively worked to not only respect our history, but to modernise our partnership for the times in which we live.
I talk about amplified middle power diplomacy. You talk about, I think, determined diplomacy, but what that signifies is that we are determined to work with others to fashion peace, stability, and prosperity for our peoples, and I would add to what Richard said, we appreciate your leadership. We appreciate the energy you bring to the many challenges that we collectively and individually face. But perhaps most of all, for the purposes of these discussions, we appreciate the trust that there is between us. The political, the personal trust, the strategic trust, because the value of that - that is an asset for not only these discussions but for the work we do together. So, thank you for having us.
