AUKUS partners sign updated deal

STATEMENT FROM AUKUS PARTNERS On 5 August 2024, AUKUS partners signed the trilateral Agreement Among the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion (the “Agreement”). In March 2023, the AUKUS Leaders announced an ambitious plan to support Australia’s acquisition of a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability at the earliest possible date, while ensuring Australia’s capacity to safely operate, maintain, and regulate this technology. The Agreement will enable AUKUS partners to continue to share submarine naval nuclear propulsion information between the partners, and allow the United Kingdom and the United States to transfer material and equipment to Australia required for the safe and secure construction, operation and sustainment of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership. Since the announcement of this endeavour, the AUKUS partners have been resolute that this initiative will be undertaken in a way that sets the highest non-proliferation standard, while protecting classified and controlled information, material, and equipment. To this end, the Agreement re-affirms, and is consistent with, AUKUS partners’ respective existing international non-proliferation obligations. As a non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Australia has re-affirmed unequivocally that it does not have and will not seek to acquire nuclear weapons. The Agreement is a significant milestone and a demonstration of the AUKUS partners’ commitment to delivering this critical capability. Greens Party Statement Albanese’s new AUKUS 2.0 deal with secret “political commitments” US President Joe Biden announced that a new AUKUS agreement has been signed with Australia that contains secret “political commitments”. This new AUKUS deal supersedes the previous agreement formulated under the Morrison Government, which entered into force in February 2022. Attached to this new agreement is an undisclosed “Understanding” which covers the approaches the respective governments will take to the new agreement and provides “additional related political commitments.” These additional political commitments have been kept secret. The new agreement will allow for the transfer of naval nuclear propulsion plants and other equipment, including equipment needed for the disposal of naval nuclear propulsion plants. The agreement also expressly protects US intellectual property, including the prevention of information, material or equipment going beyond “the jurisdiction” without the consent of the US. There is also a provision in the agreement that will allow the UK and US to intervene in the arrangements between Australia and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Senator David Shoebridge Greens Spokesperson on Defence said: “Joe Biden has just announced that there is a new AUKUS agreement, and told us how our own government has made secret “political commitments” that go alongside the new AUKUS deal. The silence from the Albanese Government on this is deafening, Australians should not have to find out from Washington what our own Government is doing. What is so damaging to the Albanese government with this new deal that it has to be kept secret from the Australian public? There are real concerns the secret understanding includes commitments binding us to the U.S. in the event they go to war with China in return for getting nuclear submarines. AUKUS 2.0, which now comes with a secret side deal, is driving us further into the US war plans with China. People are rightfully concerned about US war plans, about the US nuclear weapons in Australia and about losing independence over our military. Albanese making secret political commitments to the US only fuels those fears.” Senator Jordon Steele-John, Greens Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs said: “This new AUKUS pact puts into writing what so many in our community already knew, it signs Australians up to the next half-century of US foreign policy and undermines Australian national sovereignty in favour of US strategic interests. The fact that the Albanese government would make secret political agreements with any country let alone one potentially about to re-elect Donald Trump is abhorrent. It will destabilise our relations with our Pacific neighbours and the world. The Albanese government’s cowardice to not even acknowledge these agreements with the Australian people and instead let the news be announced via the United States shows an utter lack of respect or regard for the community every MP in this country is elected to serve. In the last 50 years, the US has overseen illegal bombings of Cambodia and Laos, supported fascist coups around the world and brought Australia into two senseless wars in the Middle East that killed millions. Anthony Albanese seems content to sign every Australian up for Act 2 which could very well include Donald Trump.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact : Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]