Australia and New Zealand set to reaffirm defence relationship to protect security in the region

Australia and New Zealand are set to reaffirm the defence relationship between the countries as they look to maintain protective security in the region.

New Zealand’s Minister of Defence Peeni Henare departs for Australia on Sunday, October 16 to meet with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles to discuss defence cooperation and security in the region.

“The annual meeting will take place in Victoria ahead of both Ministers travelling to Tonga to attend the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting,” the New Zealand government said.

Peeni Henare said about the meeting: “I met with Minister Marles at the Shangri-La Dialogue earlier this year and we agreed we needed to sit down and have a more in-depth discussion, and this is a good opportunity to do just that.

“Australia is our only formal defence ally and our two countries have a proud history of working together. This will be a chance for the two of us to discuss matters relating to our region and how our two countries can further strengthen our bilateral defence relationship and cooperation.”

Henare travels to Tonga on Monday, October 17 and will return to New Zealand on October 20.

The news comes after the New Zealand government added new sanctions and trade bans on Russia and Belarus “in response to Putin’s attempts to illegally annex parts of Ukraine”.

Sanctions targeted 51 oligarchs including New Zealand-linked Alexander Abramov and 24 Russian-backed office holders in annexed areas of Ukraine.

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