James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Will the minister update the Senate on the visits to Australia by our key partners this week and broader engagement by the Liberal-National government to promote an Indo-Pacific region that is stable, secure and prosperous?

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

I thank Senator Paterson for his question and for his deep interest in these key strategic issues. Under this coalition government, Australia is working with our partners to advance our values and shared interests. This week, in fact, brings engagements with eight of my foreign minister counterparts. Tomorrow, the Quad foreign ministers' meeting with India, the United States and Japan will take place in Melbourne. With External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, Foreign Minister Hayashi and Secretary of State Blinken, Australia continues to pursue an agenda for a free and open Indo-Pacific through ambitious practical cooperation.

The Quad follows a visit by my Lithuanian counterpart, Foreign Affairs Minister Landsbergis, with whom I had very productive discussions yesterday on our responses to major security and trade challenges. Today, I've met with Timor-Leste's Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister, Adaljiza Magno, and we discussed our shared COVID-19 response, vaccines and labour mobility.

This week, we've also had a four-way virtual call with Minister Magno and our counterparts from Indonesia and New Zealand—Ministers Marsudi and Mahuta. Four female foreign ministers in our region sends a very powerful message. We discussed advocacy and action on the Women, Peace and Security agenda, and once again I expressed Australia's strong support for the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

Today, I also met with my friend Papua New Guinea's health minister, Jelta Wong, who I acknowledge in the chamber today. Minister Wong and I particularly reinforced Australia's commitment in our discussions to partnering with Papua New Guinea on our shared COVID-19 response and recovery. All of our partners are committed to building a free and open region, deeply engaging with a range of partners to support our vision for an open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a supplementary question?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Will the minister advise the Senate on the positive agenda for the Quad foreign ministers' meeting with India, Japan and the United States tomorrow?

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

Our four countries share a commitment to building a free and open Indo-Pacific and we are cooperating to support that goal. Most critical is the COVID response. I'm pleased to report that the Quad has now delivered more than 500 million vaccines under our 1.3 billion dose commitment. We will also discuss further cooperation to defend against malicious cyberattacks and dangerous disinformation; to enhance maritime security in our region; to support infrastructure development; to enhance climate action by working together on clean energy supply chains; and to assist our Indo-Pacific partners when they face crises such as the volcanic eruption and tsunami that so recently devastated Tonga. The Quad agenda is positive and it is practical. It works alongside our other relationships, including, importantly, with ASEAN, which, founded in the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific, lies at the heart of the Indo-Pacific.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a second supplementary question?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister advise the Senate on upcoming opportunities to further advance Australia's vision of an open and resilient Indo-Pacific?

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

Australia is promoting and supporting our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific region, including through cooperation with partners like the United Kingdom and Europe. Late last month Minister Dutton and I hosted the Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations, in Sydney. We had substantive discussions about deepening strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and secured new agreements with the United Kingdom on cybercooperation and sustainable infrastructure investment in the Indo-Pacific. As well I had meetings in December at the G7, in Liverpool, with the world's most influential liberal democracies, and meetings with and visits to counterparts in Greece, the European Union, in Belgium and in Austria.

This month I will attend the Munich Security Conference, in Germany, and the European Union ministerial forum for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, in Paris. These discussions underline Australia's commitment to cooperation with the EU and other like-minded countries in support of the rules based order.