Minister for Defence - Blueprint for Defence and Security Cooperation Between Australia and the Republic of Korea

1.                 Senior Dialogues and Consultation

Activity or proposed activity

(a)   Australia and the Republic of Korea (ROK) hold biennial Foreign and Defence Ministers’ 2+2 meetings.

(b)   Both sides hold Foreign Ministers’ meetings in either country or in the margins of plurilateral events at least annually.

(c)    Both sides hold Defence Ministers’ dialogues in either country or in the margins of plurilateral events at least annually.

(d)   Both sides seek opportunities for regular bilateral Heads-of-Government meetings in either country or on the margins of plurilateral events.

(e)   Both sides hold annual Strategic Dialogue Talks (Foreign Ministry Deputy Secretary/Deputy Minister level, Defence First Assistant Secretary /Director-General or Deputy Director-General level).

(f)     Both sides hold annual Defence Policy Talks (First Assistant Secretary /Director-General level).

 

 

2.    Defence Cooperation

Activity or proposed activity

(a)   Australia and the ROK maintain regular service-to-service dialogues between our respective Navies, Armies and Air Forces.

(b)   Exercise participation and defence cooperation.

-          Both sides will increase patterns of  bilateral and joint exercising, including:

•          practical participation by Australian personnel and units in field training exercises in the ROK;

•          practical participation by ROK personnel and units in field training exercises in Australia;

•          joint preparation and training opportunities for security, stability, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercises and operations; and

•          unit cooperation and personnel exchange in security, stability, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercises and operations.

-          Both sides continue to utilise the bilateral anti-submarine warfare exercise HAEDOLI WALLABY as the premier bilateral practical defence exercise between the two countries, committing to conduct this every two years, hosting alternatively where practicable.

-          Both sides continue to develop the complexity of exercises of opportunity between the Australian and ROK Navies, including during reciprocal port visits and coincident deployments.

(c)    Trilateral Australia-Republic of Korea-United States Defence Engagement.

-          Both sides explore opportunities for increased practical trilateral defence cooperation. 

(d)   Senior visits.

-          Both sides commit to reciprocal counterpart visits for senior Defence Force officers and Department officials, including respective Chiefs and Vice Chiefs of Defence Forces, and Service Chiefs.

(e)   Peacekeeping Cooperation.

-          Both sides progress from a collaborative approach in information sharing on peacekeeping operations to working together in preparation for peacekeeping operations and to exchanging personnel on peacekeeping missions where both the ROK and Australia are participating.

(f)     Defence Cooperation Agreements.

-          Both sides update the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding in the field of defence cooperation to reflect the expanding defence relationship between Australia and the ROK, including developing a mutual understanding of the requirements for Australian personnel in the ROK, and ROK personnel in Australia.

-          Both sides update the 2010 Agreement on the Protection of Classified Military Information to ensure it continues to reflect the advanced state of defence engagement and requirements for sharing classified information.

(g)   United Nations Command.

-          Both sides continue to explore further opportunities for Australia to actively contribute to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula by participating in ROK-US combined exercises as a sending state of the United Nations Command.

-          Australia continues to participate in United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission inspections, investigations and observer missions to maintain the Armistice Agreement.

(h)   Logistics.

-          Both sides conduct annual Mutual Logistics Cooperation Meetings to continue expanding the logistics collaboration between Australia and the ROK.

-         Both sides conduct annual Ammunition Working Group Meetings to strengthen mutual ammunition support between the two countries.

(i)     Defence Science and Technology.

-          Both sides establish a Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation and the ROK Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

-          Both sides establish regular Joint Steering Committee meeting regime chaired by the Australian Chief Defence Scientist, or designated representative, and the ROK Director-General of Acquisition Planning Bureau.

-         Both sides identify potential collaborative Defence Science and Technology activities of mutual interest, where resources allow.

(j)     Education and Training

-          Both sides establish an Implementing Arrangement on expanded Defence education and training engagement.

-          Both sides establish reciprocal attendance on long term junior staff courses between the Australian Command and Staff College and the ROK Joint Forces Military University.

-          Both sides establish reciprocal attendance on long term senior staff courses between the Australian Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies and the ROK National Defense University.

-         Australia establishes a position for an ROK military cadet to attend the Australian Defence Force Academy.

(k)   Dialogue.

-          Both sides actively participate in dialogue between security institutions in both countries, including 1.5 track dialogues, in areas of shared strategic importance, including non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and cyber cooperation.

(l)     Defence Industry Cooperation.

-          Both sides renew the arrangements on defense industry cooperation between the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of the ROK and the Department of Defence, Australia.

-          Both sides continue defense industrial cooperation and explore opportunities to expand constructive mutual exchanges by holding the regular bilateral Joint Defense Industry Cooperation Committee Meeting.

(m) Maritime Security.

-          Both sides actively promote maritime security and safety in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other relevant international norms.

-          Both sides participate in counter-piracy dialogues and practical engagement to further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries in this area.

-          Both sides expand the opportunities for personnel exchanges and unit interaction during maritime security deployments such as coincident counter-piracy deployments in the Gulf of Aden.

(n)   Information and Communication Technology.

-         Both sides conduct annual information and communication technology talks to continue to ensure that the communication and information sharing protocols enable and support increased practical engagement.

 

3.       Counter-Proliferation

Activity or proposed activity

(a)   Australia and the ROK strengthen cooperation in global and regional non-proliferation and arms control fora, including:

-          conducting regular informal exchange of views through foreign ministries; and

-          sharing information and conducting cooperative outreach to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

 

 

4.       Transnational Law Enforcement

Activity or proposed activity

(a)   The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) will continue to consult and, where mutually decided, enhance operational cooperation as outlined in the June 2006 Memorandum of Understanding between the AFP and the KNPA on Combating Transnational Crime and Developing Police Cooperation.

(b)   In addition, the AFP and KNPA will:

-          build on Hong Kong-based AFP and Sydney-based KNPA liaison;

-          identify mutually beneficial law-enforcement training opportunities to enhance interoperability, including with regional partners;

-          cooperate bilaterally and with other Bali Process members to combat people smuggling and trafficking in persons in the Asia-Pacific region;

-          enhance police-to-police cooperation on counter-terrorism, including intelligence sharing on counter-terrorism matters; and

-          explore scope for a joint police-to-police counter-terrorism cooperation plan.

 

 

5.       Cyber Security and Space Security

Activity or proposed activity

(a)   Australia and the ROK will continue to hold a bilateral cyber-policy dialogue, meeting regularly to address common cyber threats and contribute to international efforts to ensure open and secure cyberspace including discussions on international norms on cyberspace. 

(b)   Both sides will also cooperate on space security.

(c)    The respective national Computer Emergency Response Teams will deepen cyber security collaboration under the existing arrangements between KrCERT/CC and CERT Australia, including on information sharing.

(d)   Both sides will also continue to pursue increased regional and global collaboration on cyber security, including through the multilateral Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team (APCERT).

(e)   Both sides’ respective law enforcement agencies, in particular the Cyber Bureau of Korean National Police Agency and the Organised Crime and Cyber portfolio of the Australian Federal Police, commit to strengthening police-to-police cooperation.

6.       Border Security

Activity or proposed activity

(a)   The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP)  and Korea Immigration service will consult and where mutually decided, advance the capacity of our border agencies to collaborate in areas of mutual interest, such as:

-          electronic biometrics and identity management, including the processing of passport bio-data at the border within the limit of relevant laws and systems of each country;

-          mutually beneficial training opportunities (e.g. cooperation on forgery trends, identification, or immigration policy or others); and

-          regional cooperation through the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime.

 

(b)   DIBP and the Korea Customs Service will consult and where mutually decided, advance the capacity of our border agencies to collaborate in areas of mutual interest, such as:

-          exploration of opportunities to test interoperability and examine electronic submission of trade-related reporting requirements; and

-          mutually beneficial training opportunities (e.g. cooperation on the detector dog programme and express mail/x-ray screening) to enhance interoperability.

(c)    DIBP and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will consult and where mutually decided, advance the capacity of our border agencies to collaborate in areas of mutual interest, such as:

-          enhanced operational cooperation in combating piracy and armed robbery at sea as outlined under the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

7.       The Pacific

Activity or proposed activity

(a)   Australia and the ROK strengthen economic prosperity, peace and stability in the Pacific region through better coordination in the fields of sustainable development, disaster relief, and diplomatic and multilateral cooperation.

(b)   Recognising that real change to the lives of the people in the Pacific will only come about through local leadership by Pacific Island Countries (PICs), both sides support the efforts of the PICs to enhance complementarity between their activities to better meet their development priorities and give effect to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development consistent with the principles of the Forum Compact the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.

(c)    Both sides will do this through:

-          annual bilateral meetings on cooperation in the Pacific, including Strategic Dialogue Talks;

-          Australia nominating the ROK for observer status at the Pacific Heptagon meetings; and

-         additional ad hoc meetings of DFAT and MOFA staff where suitable on better Pacific cooperation.

 

8.       Crisis Management

Activity or proposed activity

(a)   The Australian Attorney-General’s Department and the ROK Ministry of Public Safety and Security will enhance relations and interoperability through negotiation of an interagency Memorandum of Understanding, identifying areas for collaboration that serve both nations’ emergency management policy and operational interests.

(b)   Both sides will maintain existing commitments to cooperate on activities of mutual interest within multilateral fora, including:

-          the East Asia Summit through the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management sessions on disaster management cooperation;

-          the APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group and Senior Disaster Management Officials fora; and

-         ASEAN Regional Forum Intercessional Meetings on Disaster Relief.

 

9.       Maritime Safety

Activity or proposed activity

(a)   Our maritime safety authorities, including the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and ROK maritime agencies, will continue to cooperate closely in a broad range of activities including on:

-          maritime safety;

-          maritime search and rescue;

-          marine oil spill prevention and response;

-          e-navigation; and

-          protection of the marine environment.

(b)   Participating agencies will continue cooperation under the three memoranda of understanding signed in recent years between AMSA and Korea Coast Guard (2012), Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (2013), and the Korean Register of Shipping (2013).

(c)    Both sides will maintain consultation on policy and operational matters in order to enhance and develop collaboration and exchange of information on matters of mutual interest, and identify opportunities to enhance the capabilities, including with respect to:

-          the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Asia-Pacific Region (the Tokyo MOU);

-          the International Maritime Organization (IMO);

-          the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA);

-          the Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM);

-          the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); and

-          the Asia-Pacific Heads of Maritime Safety Agencies (APHoMSA) forum.

 

 

Media contacts:

Chloe Petch (Minister Andrews’ Office)             0477 395 356

Defence Media Operations                                 (02) 6127 1999