Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne will this week travel to France and Indonesia for discussions on key Australian defence, security and strategic interests.
The Minister will attend a meeting of Defence Ministers from the main force contributors to the Counter-Daesh Coalition in Paris on 25 October, which will include discussions on progress in the military campaigns in Iraq and Syria.
The meeting comes at a critical juncture for the counter-Daesh campaign, with the offensive to liberate Mosul underway.
Daesh has now lost more than 50 per cent of the territory it once held in Iraq and this meeting will be an opportunity to further consider coalition efforts in the campaign against the terrorist group.
While in Paris, Minister Payne will hold a number of bilateral meetings with her counterparts.
The Minister will then travel to Indonesia for the annual 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers Meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs the Hon Julie Bishop MP on 27 and 28 October 2016.
As outlined in the 2016 Defence White Paper, our defence relationship with Indonesia is vital. This year’s forum will be an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism, peacekeeping and maritime security.