Australia & France to increase defence ties in the Pacific

Updated September 17, 2008 16:09:05

Australia and France are set to increase their defence ties in the South Pacific with Australia having greater access to France's defence operations in the region. The deal, which is yet to be signed, follows talks in Canberra between Australia's Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon and his French counterpart Herve Morin.

Presenter: Michael Cavanagh
Speakers: Australia's Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon; French Defence Minister, Herve Morin

CAVANAGH: While Australia has questioned the commitment of some of its European allies to the international forces in Afghanistan, Mr Fitzgibbon was quick to acknowledge the French efforts -- very early in the joint news conference he paid tribute to the 10 French soldiers killed last month by Taliban insurgents near the Afghan capital.

That respect and cooperation is now being further extended to the Pacific following on from the defence cooperation deal signed in 1992 between France, Australia and New Zealand.

It also coincides with what the French Minister says is his country's restructuring of its defence capabilities and this includes making New Caledonia its major Pacific base.

MORIN: As you understand Australia -- France is in the process of restructuring its defence capabilities and we have decided that New Caledonia will become a major presence and major base in the Pacific. We decided to do this because New Caledonia is close to Australia and for us this base in New Caldonia will be the means through which we will grow our cooperation with Australia.

CAVANAGH: The French move also echoes what the Australian Labor Government has pushed in recent times of a greater involvement by Australia in the region, on top of the intervention in places such as Solomon Islands.

This is likely to be reflected later this year by first the publication of a security review and then the release of a white paper which will detail Australia's defence priorities in the coming years.

Mr Fitzgibbon says it is only logical that the white paper would address this..

FITZGIBBON: The new government has a particularly heavy and new focus on the South Pacific and you will see the white paper of course focussing on those issues we are very keen to do all we can to promote peace, and stability and prosperity amongst our near neighbours and this agreement of course gives us additional flexibility and a better capacity to deal with any contingencies that might arise in that part of the region.

CAVANAGH: With the deal yet to be finalised, the two Defence Ministers did not elaborate in too much detail on how the accord would operate although Mr Morin sees it as being a two way deal.

MORIN: Very much fall into agreement today that we will be able to sign in the coming months an accord that which will allow Australia to use New Caledonia a base for logisitic support mainly for naval forces but for all Australian operations and its well understood equally that Australia could be a point of similar support for a French forces in particular naval forces.

CAVANAGH: While the latest move is concentrating on defence and naval ties it is also expected to cover other emergencies caused by political instability along with combating such things as transnational crime and illegal fishing.