International relations

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Poh Ling Yeow and Prof. Nicholas Farrelly to the Board of the Australia-ASEAN Council.

On 18 December, senior officials from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the foreign ministries of India, Japan and the United States met by videoconference to progress initiatives agreed by ministers at the second Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in October in Tokyo.
 

The Australian Government welcomes the latest, significant developments in Israel overnight in the extradition proceedings against Malka Leifer.

The 12th meeting of the India-Australia Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism was held virtually on 17th December, 2020.

The trans-Tasman relationship has never been stronger, as the alignment of our efforts to tackle the challenges of the past year has shown.

Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women co-convened, with Fijian Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mereseini Vuniwaqa, a third meeting of Pacific women leaders to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on women and girls in our region. 

Ms Paula Ganly will be Australia’s next Ambassador to Iraq. 

Mr Paul Kelly will be Australia’s next Ambassador to the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).