Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she has taken to help strengthen the UK’s economic and security relationship with Australia.

The Foreign Secretary has just returned from Australia, where she met her counterpart, Foreign Minister Payne, and joined the annual Australia and UK Foreign and Defence Ministers’ meeting - AUKMIN, together with Defence Secretary Wallace. The visit strengthened economic, diplomatic and security ties. Working with Australia – a close partner in building a network of liberty – the UK is supporting stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and making our own country safer and more competitive.