The leaders of Australia and New Zealand announced on Friday that the AUKUS trilateral defense pact will enhance regional security and stability, especially as both nations face what they describe as the most challenging strategic conditions since World War Two.
While New Zealand is not officially part of the defense agreement between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, it is looking into ways to collaborate on the second aspect of the pact, known as “pillar two,” which focuses on shared military technology.
This second pillar is distinct from the first, which is aimed at providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the shared values and objectives of the two countries, expressing an interest in including New Zealand in pillar two discussions during a joint media briefing with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
The United States has indicated that it is open to New Zealand’s participation in AUKUS.
These remarks followed an announcement from the U.S. State Department stating that Australia, Britain, and the U.S. now have comparable export-control regimes, a crucial step for facilitating technology exchanges under AUKUS.
Luxon reaffirmed that New Zealand’s security ties with Australia, its only formal defense ally, are strong. He stated, “Our intention is to say we want to be fully interoperable with Australia’s defense forces,” noting that both countries had signed a deal last year to enhance military readiness and capabilities.
A joint statement issued after the meeting between Albanese and Luxon in Canberra outlined their commitment to work closely together to ensure the security and prosperity of both nations.
The prime ministers expressed serious concerns regarding destabilizing and provocative actions in the South China Sea and stressed the necessity of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
They also acknowledged threats from cyber intrusions, stating they would regard such hacks as acts of armed aggression if they jeopardize the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of either nation.