MALAYSIA-AUSTRALIA HIGH LEVEL COMMITTEE

I look forward to hosting my Malaysian counterpart, Minister of Defence, Mohamad bin Sabu, in Canberra for the second Malaysia-Australia High Level Committee tomorrow, 25 September 2019.

 

These annual high-level talks are an important opportunity to discuss common regional security challenges, including our response to terrorism in the South East Asian region, maritime security cooperation, and our shared commitment to the Five Power Defence Arrangements. 

 

We will also discuss opportunities to further strengthen our defence collaboration to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving regional security environment.

 

Malaysia is one of Australia’s closest defence partners, with the Malaysian-Australian Joint Defence Program at the heart of our relationship. 

 

Our partnership extends back to World War Two and is underscored by our strong people-to-people links, and close cooperation.

 

During a Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial we will lay a wreath, highlighting our shared history of cooperation, and commemorating the service and ultimate sacrifice of our respective military personnel. 

 

I look forward to these important and productive discussions and to deepening our close relationship in the areas of training, capability, and peacekeeping.