newzealandinc.com Informed. Influential. Indispensable.
Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman is departing for Perth today to hold talks with the Australian Defence Minister, Stephen Smith on the outskirts of the Ausmin conference.
It will be their first formal talks since they signed the Australia-New Zealand Defence Relationship Review at Melbourne in January this year.
“We have an excellent defence relationship with Australia and this meeting helps ensure the relationship is well maintained or consolidated on a practical level,” said Dr Coleman. “We are likely to discuss regional and global security issues as well as examine avenues for practical defence co-operation. This includes increasing co-operation on sealift and maritime sustainment.”