Deal boosts Australian defence ties with Britain

Australia and Britain have signed a new strategic partnership, boosting defence and security ties as the new conservative Government in London renews its focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

The agreement extends from closer security and diplomatic co-operation - including the ability of the two militaries to work together - to terrorism and the security of cyberspace.

The partnership was signed in Sydney during what will now be an annual meeting between the two nations' foreign and defence ministers, and came during a swing by British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Defence Secretary Liam Fox through old imperial strongholds.

Hague was previously in Hong Kong, and Fox in Malaysia, which with Australia, New Zealand and Singapore belongs to the Five Power Defence Arrangements that extended Britain's ties to its former colonies after its withdrawal from the Far East in the 1970s.

Fox will arrive in New Zealand today.

The new partnership has been welcomed as a "reinvigoration" of British-Australian ties, which declined after wartime Prime Minister John Curtin refocused Australia's great power alliance as the Japanese besieged Singapore.

His statement that Australia "looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the United Kingdom" defined a strategic relationship with the US that remains as a foundation of the nation's security policy.

But the visit by Hague and Fox, and the signing of the new partnership, has signalled the region's renewed significance to British interests.

Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith said London was sending a number of messages: that strong strategic partners such as Australia were not taken for granted, and that Britain's interests were not confined to Europe or the Northern Hemisphere.

"But thirdly ... they also appreciate that political influence, economic influence, military influence, is moving to our part of the world," Smith said.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd also said that Australian-British relations had moved well beyond history: "Many have said in the past that this relationship between Australia and the UK is one based purely on idle sentiment. Can I simply say, that is wrong."

A joint communique issued after the ministers' talks said the strategic and defence relationship had been reinvigorated by new challenges and threats.

It said both countries acknowledged that their defence and security agencies needed to continue evolving to respond, and to continue advancing shared strategic interests.

The two countries have worked more closely since the invasion of Iraq - in which they were Washington's key partners - and the war in Afghanistan.

Ties have been tightened further in the past two years by regular talks between senior military and government officials, and will be boosted by annual ministerial meetings and a series of other initiatives.

"We have agreed on a common work programme for the future," Rudd said.

This included the future of our regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, Afghanistan and in Pakistan, cyber security, counterterrorism and the Middle East.

"National interests are now affected, more than ever before, by events which take place beyond the borders of our own nations," the communique said.

Australia and Britain will work closely together on cyber threats, co-ordinating diplomatic, defence and security agencies' efforts to defeat growing intrusions.

A defence ministers' statement reaffirmed support for the Afghan war, but said beyond Afghanistan the two countries needed to be prepared to respond to any future military crisis and to prevent fragile, failing and failed states providing safe havens for terrorists.

"This means we focus on building defence capabilities that support cross-government efforts to prevent crises developing, deter threats to peace and stability, and be capable of intervening militarily as a last resort."

The two countries will also work together to improve defence procurement and to collaborate on future military capability and research and development programmes.