The Australian and New Zealand governments have agreed to work more closely together on defense operations during a meeting in Melbourne. Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters, and Defence Minister Judith Collins. The consultations, dubbed “ANZMIN 2024,” aimed to advance shared interests with Pacific partners, deepen defense cooperation, and strengthen the partnership between the two nations. Speaking to reporters following the joint meeting, Mr. Marles described the talks on Feb. 1 as a “huge step forward.” He stated, “We have committed to working much more closely together in terms of defense operations to give effect to deterrence.” The Australian and New Zealand governments have agreed to work much more closely together to build interoperability and interchangeability between their two defense forces.
New Zealand is looking at joining “AUKUS Pillar 2” and will “very shortly” host an Australian delegation to discuss this further. AUKUS is the trilateral defense partnership between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It involves the sharing of technology in high-tech areas including quantum tech, undersea capabilities, hypersonic weaponry, and cyber capabilities. “We have agreed to send a team to New Zealand very shortly to brief New Zealand on developments in relation to AUKUS and particularly AUKUS Pillar 2,” Mr. Marles said. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon revealed in December that his country would explore joining Pillar 2 (the non-nuclear section) of the AUKUS security pact.
New Zealand’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Mr. Peters, highlighted the need for “greater maturity” and “greater intensity” in diplomatic ties amid “deteriorating geopolitical conditions,” AAP reported. Mr. Peters, who was reelected to Parliament for the 15th time at the 2023 election, emphasized the importance of working diligently with close friends. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Defense Minister Collins discussed the necessity of working closely with close friends during a time of “increased strategic competition and challenges.” She also emphasized the importance of working with close friends considering the threatened rules-based order that democratic countries rely on. And in a light-hearted moment, Ms. Collins nearly directed a pink Mars robot rover into Mr. Marles during a meeting. She joked, “That would have been bad,” as Mr. Marles quickly jumped out of the way.