SEOUL, The defense chiefs of South Korea and Australia on Thursday agreed to expand joint military exercises and defense industry cooperation to promote regional peace and “shared strategic interests,” Seoul’s defense ministry said.
Defense Minister Shin Won-sik held a meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles following their attendance at the 2023 Seoul Defense Dialogue, an international security forum held in Seoul from Tuesday to Thursday.
They stressed the bilateral relationship continues to develop in a positive direction based on “shared strategic interests” and vowed to deepen ties in the defense and arms sectors.
The ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the armed services of the two countries to increase their interoperability and hold more complex military exercises, and another MOU aimed at enhancing peace operations training and cooperation.
“Building on these MOUs, the ministers agreed to explore ways to develop an enhanced framework of bilateral defense cooperation in a reciprocal and enduring manner,” the ministry said in a release.
Shin said the two countries have been strengthening defense cooperation, noting South Korean Navy and Marine Corps sent the largest-ever South Korean contingent to this year’s Exercise Talisman Sabre, a multinational military exercise led by Australia and the United States.
Marles evaluated South Korea’s participation in this year’s Exercise Talisman Sabre and the Australian Air Force’s Pitch Black 2022 as a “significant milestone” in the bilateral defense relationship, welcoming its inaugural contribution to the multinational Indo-Pacific Endeavour exercise led by Australia, as well as in the country’s Operation Render Safe that aims to dispose of underwater explosives in the Pacific region.
“The ministers agreed to continue bilateral and multilateral joint exercises and activities to mutually enhance capabilities,” the ministry said.
In July, Australia selected Hanwha Aerospace’s Redback vehicle as the preferred bidder for its new infantry fighting vehicle project to acquire 129 next-generation armored vehicles by 2028.
During his Seoul visit, Marles also met with Foreign Minister Park Jin to discuss ways to bolster the bilateral relations and work together to promote “a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region” based on the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
Source: Yonhap News Agency