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British foreign, defence ministers visit Australia for high-level talks

Xinhua, February 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

British and Australian foreign and defence ministers are meeting in Sydney on Monday for high-level talks on foreign policy, defence and security issues, especially terrorism.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon joined Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister Kevin Andrews in Sydney on Monday to firstly commemorate the centenary of World War I.

The high-ranking British and Australian officials also visited the makeshift memorial at Martin Place for the two victims of the Sydney hostage siege, barrister Katrina Dawson and cafe manager Tori Johnson.

Hammond and Bishop signed a condolence book in remembrance of the victims and also visited the boarded-up cafe in Martin Place.

"Australia and the United Kingdom are united in our efforts to stamp out extremism, to counter terrorism and to ensure that the citizens of our respective countries can be safe," Bishop told reporters.

"And I thank our British friends for their support and for taking the time this morning to sign the condolence book here in Sydney."

Hammond said he was glad to be in Sydney and be able to express the sympathies of the British people.

"As the foreign minister has said, this is a global scourge - terrorism, intolerance, the corruption of the Islamic religion - and we will stand together, the British and the Australian people and our allies around the world in fighting it whenever it rears its head," he said.

The British ministers are in Australia for high-level talks as part of the annual Australia-Britain ministerial meeting, with the Islamic State and its recruitment of foreign fighters being topping the agenda.

But Bishop and her British counterpart said terrorism will be the main focus and in a joint article published in The Australian newspaper on Monday they said there's "no more pressing matter of national and international security" for both countries.

"Rarely has any force drawn so heavily on fighters from beyond its own region than Da'ish (Islamic State). Sadly, that includes vulnerable individuals from our own communities," they wrote. Endi