Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Askew for the question and for her interest in our international affairs. We know the COVID-19 challenge has brought a range of difficulties to our region. Health systems and livelihoods have been put seriously at risk. With our Pacific island neighbours, together we acted decisively to contain the spread of the virus and we stood together in our responses.

We're working with partners in the Pacific Islands Forum to support a specific humanitarian pathway to move essential humanitarian supplies and workers. I meet again next week with my counterparts in the ministerial action group on the implementation of the pathway, and I really appreciate the support of the Tuvalu foreign minister, Simon Kofe, and the PIF secretary general, Dame Meg Taylor, in our joint statement about the pathway on 1 June.

Framing our response, as the senator said, we released Australia's new development strategy, Partnerships for Recovery, focusing on the Pacific, Timor Leste and Indonesia and concentrating on three areas: health, stability and economic recovery. This entails a pivot of our development effort towards the immediate needs of partners in our region. We're also making important contributions to the global response and to the recovery, committing $352 million at the European Union conference for vaccines, diagnostics and treatment and $300 million to Garvi the Vaccine Alliance, which was recognised today by a motion in this chamber. I acknowledge the support of the chamber for that.

How this region comes through this crisis matters to all of us. The growth and stability of the Indo-Pacific has provided the foundations for our own security and prosperity. Most importantly, we recognise that Australia can only do this with partners in partnership.