Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne signs the visitor book at Wisma Perwira as Defence Minister Mohammad Sabu looks on (Photo: www.thesundaily.my)Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysian Minister of Defence Mohamad Sabu and his Australiancounterpart Marise Payne on June 25 had a closed-door meeting within the inauguralMalaysia-Australia High Level Committee on Defence Cooperation (HLC) meeting atRoyal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base in Butterworth.
In a joint statement issued by the Malaysia-AustraliaHLC, both ministers were updated on the progress of the cooperation under the Malaysia-AustraliaJoint Defence Programme which affirmed the importance of working together tostrengthen the bilateral defence relationship and meet the challenges of therapidly evolving regional security environment.
They also reiterated the commitment to worktogether, bilaterally and multilaterally, to step up defence cooperation tocounter terrorism and identify ways to strengthen cooperation in the fightagainst terrorism.
Both ministers agreed that the threat ofterrorism is a key regional concern for both nations, including the return offoreign terrorist fighters from overseas conflicts, the statement said.
They unequivocally condemn terrorism in allits forms and manifestations and expressed their condolences to the victims ofterrorism across the region, it said.
According to the statement, the ministersalso affirmed their commitment to the Five Power Defence Agreement (FPDA) as anintegral part of the region’s security architecture.
The ministers also noted that the 10th FPDADefence Ministers’ Meeting agreed to continually strengthen counter terrorismactivities and enhance the operational value of the exercises includingincorporating newer capabilities for the mutual benefit of all member nations.-VNA
