The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, has completed a two-day visit to Pakistan where he met with his counterpart, Pakistan’s Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Rashad Mahmood.
Air Chief Marshal Binskin said Australia’s relationship with Pakistan had grown in recent years to develop into a valuable partnership.
“In 2014 we provided places for up to 120 members of the Pakistan Armed Forces to attend a range of training courses in Australia.
“A similar number of Pakistani personnel will train at the Australian Defence Force Academy, the Australian Defence College, the Royal Military College Duntroon, and a range of other select training institutions this year,” Air Chief Marshal Binskin said.
The counterpart talks also provided an opportunity for the Defence Chiefs to discuss mutual interests and measures to boost cooperation between the two nations in the future.
“General Mahmood and I agreed to explore opportunities for practical cooperation on future counter IED (improvised explosive device) training, exercise and exchanges,” Air Chief Marshal Binskin said.
Air Chief Marshal Binskin also led the Australian delegation to the Australia-Pakistan 1.5 Track Dialogue. The dialogue provided an opportunity for a useful discussion on regional security perspectives.