WELLINGTON, ($1=1.41 New Zealand Dollars) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has first commented on a deal between Australia, Britain, and the United States to build new nuclear submarines for the Royal Australian Navy. “New Zealand’s position on banning nuclear-powered ships in our waters remains unchanged,” she told Newshub.
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BulgarianMilitary.com reminds you that back in 1987, New Zealand made a fundamental decision on the nuclear-free status of the territory and territorial waters of New Zealanders. Today, Jacinda Ardern reminded her Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, who informed her of Australia’s intentions to build nuclear submarines that it would abide by the decision made in the last century.
However, Jacinda Ardern welcomes her neighbors’ decision to build new nuclear submarines and ensure security in the region. According to her, the common goal of both New Zealand and Australia is to ensure security and peace in the Indo-Pacific region, of which New Zealand is a part. “New Zealand is primarily a country in the Pacific, and we look at foreign policy developments through the prism of what is in the region’s interest,” Ardern said.
The AUGUS alliance
BulgarianMilitary.com recalls you that the US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Ministers Scott Morrison, and British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson have announced a new trilateral security partnership, AUKUS, BBC News reported.
“While the Australia-UK-US partnership – AUKUS – sounds odd with all these acronyms, it’s good. (…) Our countries will renew and strengthen our common ability to confront threats of the 21st century just as we did in the 20th century: together,” Biden said during a joint presentation of the new alliance.
“This initiative aims to ensure that each of us has (…) the most advanced capabilities we need to maneuver and defend against rapidly evolving threats,” he said.
In turn, the Australian Prime Minister noted that “the world is becoming more complex”, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. To help ensure the security and stability that our region needs, we must now take our partnership to a new level, he said.
“AUKUS is a partnership in which our technology, our scientists, our industry, our defense forces work together to create a safer region that ultimately benefits everyone,” said Morrison.
According to the leaders, AUKUS will help protect the interests of the three countries in the Indo-Pacific region and will allow Australia to build nuclear submarines for the first time.
The new Australian subs
The biggest contract in the history of the Australian fleet has failed and the most affected by this development are France and the French company Naval Group, learned BulgarianMilitary.com. Australia had to pay nearly $ 66 billion for the construction of 12 Shortfin Barracuda Block A1 conventionnel submarines. In 2017, the two countries [Australia and France] agreed on this deal and the new Australian nuclear submarines were expected to surpass all available in the region.
However, the United States and the United Kingdom intervened and, together with Australia, created the AUCUS project, which is expected to be supported within days. AUCUS is a tripartite agreement between the United States, Britain, and Australia with the main goal of counteracting the Chinese threat in the Indo-Pacific region.
The creation of nuclear submarines for the Australian navy will be the first initiative within the new AUKUS alliance, said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
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