Malaysia and Australia aim to deepen defence partnership during high-level talks
Malaysia's defence minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin arrived in Australia for a visit focused on expanding strategic defence cooperation, highlighted by a high-level committee meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin landed in Melbourne for a multi-day visit aimed at strengthening Malaysia-Australia defence ties. His schedule opens with a briefing with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation before moving to Geelong for a bilateral discussion with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. The centerpiece of the trip is the sixth Malaysia-Australia High-Level Committee meeting, which will assess the outcomes of last year’s gathering in Kuala Lumpur and identify new areas for cooperation.
Accompanying Nordin are deputy secretary-general Mohd Yani Daud, High Commissioner Sharrina Abdullah, Defence Intelligence chief Fazal Abdul Rahman and other senior officers. Both sides highlighted the long-standing trust built through the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus as foundations for a more strategic, outcome-oriented partnership amid a complex regional security environment.
