STORY
The UK and Australia have held ministerial consultations in London covering defence, security and foreign policy. The talks were hosted by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Defence Secretary John Healey with their Australian counterparts Richard Marles and Penny Wong.
The joint statement said the discussions covered AUKUS, Indo-Pacific security, the rules-based international system, cyber threats, defence industrial cooperation and support for Ukraine. The UK and Australia also reaffirmed their commitment to working together on regional and global security challenges.
The meeting comes as ministers seek to deepen defence partnerships with close allies at a time of heightened geopolitical risk. The talks also underline the continuing importance of AUKUS to the Government’s wider security and industrial strategy.