Australian Official Endorses Free-Trade Talks.

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.
• Position: Brief Article

A senior defense official at the Australian Embassy, in Washington, D.C., is a proponent of a free-trade agreement between Australia and the United States. At a recent lunch with NDIA's International Committee, he expressed the view that the two countries ought to work together to ease the difficulty of importing and exporting weapons systems.

Australia's security plans have been in the spotlight for the better part of the last year, after its defense minister released a white paper summing up the capabilities and future needs of the Australian force. The white paper was the "most far-reaching defense policy paper published by the Australian government in the last 25 years," the defense official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity.

The paper reflected the views of the Australian public and the defense community. However, the official noted, the paper does not signal a change in strategic direction. Rather, it "embodies a new, long-term approach to defense planning."

The official explained that Australia's strategic relationship with the United States helps Australia maintain stability in the region, and requires that both nations work together. "The easier it is for Australia to access U.S. technology, the easier it will be for us to remain interoperable. A free trade agreement could help in that respect. We do exercises together all the time, and we want to maintain that ability to interoperate. Most of our hardware is already U.S. design or purchase," he added.

"Because of the overall size and diversity of our economic relationship, improving Australia's access to the U.S. market could significantly improve the U.S.-Australia trade relationship," the official said. However, he also noted that "a downturn in the U.S. economy could have a devastating effect on Australian economic prospects."

A trade official with the Australian Embassy, when reached for comment, said that talks regarding a free-trade agreement are in the "very early days. We...