UK and Australia Sign New Defense Agreement in Canberra – 2024-03-24 15:57:09

Britain and Australia have signed a new defense agreement that includes a status of forces agreement and military intelligence sharing.(AFP)

Britain and Australia signed a new defense agreement in Canberra on Thursday, paving the way for the two long-standing allies to host troops and share military intelligence.

The agreement includes a “status of forces agreement”, according to ministers from both countries, making it easier for soldiers from each country to deploy and operate in the other.

British Defense Minister Grant Shapps signed the agreement with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, during a parliamentary ceremony in Canberra.

“As the world becomes more complex and uncertain, we must modernize the partnerships that matter most to us,” Marles told reporters after the signing.

“The agreement we reached today will guarantee these results into the future.”

The agreement falls short of a full mutual defense pact, which would bind one party to step in if the other party is attacked or threatened.

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Instead, both sides said they had a “commitment to consult” with each other if threats arose.

Status of forces agreements, common among NATO allies, outline rules for foreign military personnel based in host countries.

Australia already has a long-standing status of forces agreement with the United States.

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Besides the United States, Australia and Britain are members of the newly formed AUKUS defense alliance — a landmark pact aimed at curbing China’s military expansion in the Asia-Pacific.

A central pillar of the AUKUS pact was a promise to help Australia build and acquire a formidable fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, one of its largest military build-ups in history.

Thursday’s agreement would make it easier, for example, for Australian sailors to train on British nuclear submarines, or for British crews to be stationed in Australia.

Governments in London and Washington are racing to form the basis for the AUKUS deal as they face the prospect of potential political change. (AFP/Z-3)