AUSTRALIAN Defense Minister Richard Marles will visit Southeast Asia to forge strong bilateral and military ties with partner countries in the region.
Marles will first visit Malaysia for bilateral talks as both countries share a deep and enduring partnership based on history, shared interests and strong personal connections.
After his visit to Malaysia, Marles will travel to the Philippines to observe joint training drills
The Philippines and Australia kicked off their first-ever joint amphibious training in the northern territory last week.
Dubbed Exercise Alon 2023, the drills started on August 14 and will run until August 31.
The bilateral training is part of the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2023-Australia’s flagship regional engagement activity to deepen diplomatic and defense ties across Southeast Asia and the Northeast Indian Ocean.
