U.S. – Australia Relations: AUSMIN
U.S. – Australia Ministerial Talks Conclude
Adelaide — 18 November 2005
The U.S.–Australia ministerial meetings in Adelaide concluded on November 18 with a joint press conference by U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick, Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer and Minister for Defence Robert Hill.
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer, Australian Minister for Defence Robert Hill, US Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and US Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick met in Adelaide on 17-18 November 2005 to discuss global and regional security and the state of the alliance between Australia and the United States. The talks marked the 20th anniversary of AUSMIN consultations and 54 years of strategic partnership under the ANZUS alliance.
Both sides emphatically affirmed the enduring significance and relevance of the alliance and its firm basis in shared values, interests and sacrifice. They welcomed the strengthening of the alliance in recent years, noting closer cooperation in intelligence matters, improvements in joint training and interoperability of their military forces, as well as the emergence of new areas of cooperative endeavour such as missile defence research. They committed to identifying further ways to increase allied interoperability and defence cooperation to aid coalition military operations.
Australia and the United States agreed on a number of new steps to maintain the vitality of their alliance (Annex). They recognised the growing importance of confronting contemporary security challenges, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, global terrorism and pandemic disease. Both sides underlined the continuing importance of their alliance as an anchor of a permanent US security presence in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States' role in promoting security, prosperity and democracy in this part of the world.
Both countries welcomed the coming into force this year of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement, an historic, cutting–edge agreement that positively integrates and boosts their respective economies and expands opportunities to face the competitive challenges of the 21st Century.
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Last update: Monday, 19 November 2007 GMT+1000
