Quad Senior Cyber Group - Quad Leaders' Summit - India-Aus Critical Minerals Agreements
Quad Leaders’ Summit Postponed
The Quad Leaders’ Summit, widely reported to have been scheduled for late January, has been re-scheduled to be held “later in 2024”. Diplomatic sources indicate that the reason for the re-scheduling seems to be the result of
Australia and Papua New Guinea sign historic security agreement
Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) on 7 December signed a bilateral security agreement. Under the agreement, Australia and PNG will deepen their cooperation in a range of areas including Police, cybersecurity, defence, law and justice, climate change and violence against women and children.
Under the agreement, Australia has pledged 200 million Australian dollars ($130 million) to support the initiatives in PNG’s defence, judiciary and police force including the setting up of a police academy.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:
This is a comprehensive and historic agreement. It will make it easier for Australia to help PNG address its internal security needs. For our interests going forward, we have no closer friends than Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea Minister of State Justin Tkatchenko said:
This shows our commitment to Australia as one of our traditional security partners now and into the future. Defence and internal policing are a major part of the security agreement with Australia, while respecting PNG sovereignty, along with assisting farmers to meet Australia's stringent biosecurity rules and boosting biometric technology for airports
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Yama Sakura 85 trilateral exercise between Australia, Japan and the U.S.
Australia, Japan and the U.S. participated in the 42nd edition of Yama Sakura 85 trilateral military exercise from December 1-12 at Camp Higashi Chitose, Japan. The multilateral command post exercise had several complex military manoeuvres with nearly 6,000 troops representing the three countries across four locations in Japan and Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State, U.S.A. demonstrating the capability and interoperability of I Corps and its allied forces during this first-ever trilateral iteration.
The exercise included 230 members of the Australian Army from the 1st (Australian) Division, 1,500 members of the US Army from the Corps, 7th Infantry Division, 11th Airborne Division from the U.S. Army Japan and 5,300 members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).
Lt. Gen. Hiroaki Sueyoshi, commanding general of the Northern Army JGSDF said:
I think it is essential to fundamentally reinforce our defence capabilities, and to further strengthen the deterrence and the response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance in the region, to reinforce cooperation with like-minded countries.
Mag. Gen. Scott Winter, commander of the 1st (Australian) Division said
This exercise emphasizes a continued commitment by Japan, the U.S. and Australia to work towards our shared vision of a stable, prosperous and open Indo-Pacific region.
The Quad Climate Working Group at COP 28
India organised a side event under the Climate Ambition Pillar of the Quad Climate Working Group (QCWG) on the sidelines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Conference of Parties (COP 28) in Dubai. The sessions included participants from all four Quad countries. Read more here.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, organized the session under the ‘Climate Ambition Pillar’ of the Quad Climate Working Group (QCWG) on “Localising Climate Action” at the India Pavilion on the sidelines of UNFCCC COP 28 at Dubai. The event focused on recognizing and amplifying the role of local communities, local and regional Governments in supporting sustainable lifestyles.
The Quad Senior Cyber Group to “Detect and Deter Cyber Attacks” in the Indo-Pacific
The Quad Senior Cyber Group held its 3rd “In-person Meeting of Principles” in Tokyo on December 5 and 6. The group subsequently released a joint statement. The participants included senior cybersecurity officials from the Quad countries.
The grouping reiterated its commitment to undertake efforts to strengthen the ability to defend government networks and critical infrastructure from cyber disruptions in the Indo-Pacific region. The Quad group also welcomed the idea of sharing cyber resources through capacity-building projects, to improve the security of infrastructure in the region. Read the joint statement here.
India Pursues off-Take Agreements and Investments in Australian Mines for Critical Mineral Supplies
India and Australia are in “advanced talks” for India to secure critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and vanadium for its green energy requirements and reduce its carbon footprint. Several companies including the National Mineral Development Cooperation (NMDC) have been carrying out “due diligence” for two lithium and three cobalt mines in Australia.
Denise Eaton, Trade and Investment Commissioner, Australian Trade and Investment Commission, said:
We are keen to partner with India, which has the manufacturing capabilities and is looking to play a role in the upstream segments, while Australian companies play a role in the downstream sector
She added that the Australian government was not looking to make commercial investments, but would facilitate “India companies” with access to resources, partnerships, and investment opportunities. Read more here.
Big Picture
The Quad is looking to build resilient critical mineral supply chains by undertaking national mineral policy reforms and spurring private investment in this domain through the Quad Investors Network (QUIN). Read more here.