Foreign Secretary's meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, August 2023
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and the Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong met in Sydney today (21 August 2023).
The Foreign Secretary and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong had a friendly and productive meeting in Sydney today (Monday 21 August).
The Foreign Secretary welcomed progress and ongoing collaboration on AUKUS. He reiterated the UK’s full commitment to the AUKUS partnership and a free and open Indo-Pacific, as set out in the UK’s Integrated Review Refresh 2023.
The Foreign Secretary welcomed Australia’s new international development policy and acknowledged close UK-Australia cooperation on shared international development and humanitarian priorities. He also reiterated the UK’s willingness to work with Australia on climate issues, particularly to support Pacific Island Countries which are on the front line of the climate emergency.
The Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the UK’s determination to work together with Australia to maintain the pressure on Russia and sustain support for Ukraine.
Both looked forward to seeing each other again in Australia in 2024 for the next iteration of the Australia-UK Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting (AUKMIN). They agreed that the UK-Australia relationship was modern, enduring and forward-looking, and look forward to continuing their close cooperation.
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