









2012 JOINT AUSTRALIA-UK MINISTERIAL MEETING (AUKMIN)  COMMUNIQUE



AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER KEVIN RUDD

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE MINISTER STEPHEN SMITH

UK FOREIGN SECRETARY WILLIAM HAGUE

UK DEFENCE SECRETARY PHILIP HAMMOND



LONDON   24 JANUARY 2012





The close partnership between the UK and Australia helps to safeguard national  security and foster economic prosperity in both countries. The links between our two  nations are profound, underscored by frequent high-level dialogue and wide-ranging  people-to-people links. We continue to cooperate and coordinate closely on a wide  range of global security, foreign policy and economic issues.

The UK and Australia reaffirmed today the importance of our collaboration. In a  globalised and interconnected world, our partnership is as important today as it was  for previous generations. These talks highlighted the enduring importance and the  current practical value of our long-standing relationship. In the twelve months since  the last AUKMIN there have been momentous political, security and economic  developments, including in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Asia, in  cyberspace, and in the global financial system. These events, and the uncertainty  which they can cause, have reinforced the value of a strong and trusting UK-Australia  strategic partnership. On these global issues, the UK and Australia have a shared  agenda: promoting peace and security, encouraging openness in trade and  investment, and seeking to protect the vulnerable. We have been working towards

these goals together during this year, and will keep doing so.

Our discussions today covered North Asia, South-East Asia, the events that are  unfolding in the Gulf region, building  our relationships with emerging powers, the  evolving political and security architecture in  Asia Pacific and developments in the  Indian Ocean region. Ministers discussed progress towards the transition to Afghan-led security and agreed on the importance of the international community agreeing  to their long-term post-transition commitment at the NATO/ISAF Summit in Chicago  in May. Ministers also agreed on the importance of continued international support  to Pakistan. Our dialogue and cooperation on these issues reinforce the value of our  bilateral relations - based on our shared history and values, and mutual respect.

In today’s AUKMIN talks, we discussed Asia, recognising the central importance of  this region for UK and Australian economic and security interests. Australia  welcomed the UK’s commitment to practical and effective engagement in Asia and  the Pacific, including through the FPDA. Ministers welcomed the expansion of the  East Asia Summit as a substantial step forward in the security and economic  architecture of the Asia Pacific.

We discussed the need to engage constructively with China and other countries in  the region to help address shared priorities, such as climate change, good  governance, security challenges, sustainable economic development, development  assistance, human rights and key foreign policy issues such as Iran and the  Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK). We discussed the situation on  the Korean Peninsula and agreed that the succession to Kim Jong-Un presents an  opportunity for the DPRK to change, to reform its economy so it can feed its people,  to cease its nuclear and missile programs and address its human rights record.

We discussed the role the UK and Australia can play together to contribute to  regional stability and security, including through diplomatic, development and  defence engagement. We underscored the increasing significance of India’s role for  maritime security in the Indian Ocean. We also discussed more broadly the security  challenges facing the Indian Ocean and Asia Pacific regions, including piracy and  terrorism, and  look forward to the UK’s upcoming conference on Somalia, and  Australia’s conference on piracy.  We committed ourselves to sharing strategic  insights and aligning our thinking with like-minded partners on key regional security  issues. We also considered how developments and relations in the Asia-Pacific and  the Indian Ocean regions could best contribute to the maintenance of security and  stability.

Ministers welcomed recent positive developments in Burma, and underlined that the

UK and Australia both stand ready to support Burma’s reform process. We welcomed  Aung San Suu Kyi’s participation in Burma’s political process, the recent release of a  substantial number of political prisoners and ceasefire agreements in a number of  ethnic conflict areas. We underlined the need for Burma’s up-coming by-elections to  be free and fair and for all stakeholders to continue to work towards the peaceful  resolution of ethnic conflicts. Australia and the UK discussed recent developments in  Fiji and agreed on the importance of continuing to work together to encourage Fiji’s  return to democracy and rule of law as soon as possible.

We reflected that AUKMIN III in January 2011 had been held just days before the  events in the Arab world began to unfold. The past year has witnessed upheaval and  change across much of the Middle East and North Africa. The UK and Australia  worked together to protect civilians and promote our democratic values. In our  discussions today, we also considered the challenges that the Arab Awakening had  presented for neighbouring countries, particularly the Gulf States. We considered  the expectations of people of the region, particularly on good governance,  accountability, employment opportunities and economic and structural reforms. We  agreed on the importance of economic, social and political reforms across the  region.

Australia and the UK agreed on the need to increase pressure on Iran, even as we  maintain our commitment to a negotiated solution to the Iran nuclear situation. The  regime needs to hear very clearly from the international community that its present  course is unacceptable and that it needs to abide by its obligations under multiple  UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency Resolutions.

We also agreed on the need to maintain pressure on the Assad regime in Syria; to  put an end to the bloodshed and for Assad to step aside so that peaceful political  reform can occur. Australia and the UK continue to register our support for the  efforts of the Arab League to bring a resolution to this crisis.

During the discussions, we reiterated our serious concern about the current  stalemate in the Middle East Peace Process and our commitment to continue to  work for a just and lasting resolution to the conflict.  We welcomed Jordanian efforts  to bring the parties together under the Quartet framework but shared concern  about developments in 2011 that threatened the peace process. We call on Israel to  cease settlement activity.  We also shared concern about escalations of violence and  call for an end to threats to security including rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.

The UK and Australia have a special and enduring relationship and we are committed  to working together in concrete and practical ways to promote security and

prosperity. We look forward to the next AUKMIN talks, to be held in Australia in early  2013.





