Today Minister for Defence Senator the Hon Marise Payne and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop attended the first Counter-Daesh Combined Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Washington.
The meeting was a timely opportunity for international coalition members to coordinate the military, humanitarian and stabilisation efforts in the campaign to defeat Daesh.
Today Minister Payne also held bilateral meetings with her counterparts from France and Iraq.
In her meeting with France’s Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian Minister Payne expressed condolences on behalf of Australia for recent terrorist attacks in France. The two ministers also discussed cooperation on Australia’s Future Submarine program following the selection in April of DCNS as Australia’s international design partner.
Iraq’s Minister of Defence Dr Khaled al-Obeidi and Minister Payne discussed Australia’s ongoing commitment to helping Iraq defeat Daesh and our recent decision to broaden the scope of Australia’s Building Partner Capacity mission at Taji to include training for Iraqi Federal and Local Police.