Defence Minister Wayne Mapp and his Australian counterpart Senator John Faulkner met in Sydney today to discuss a range of shared defence interests and security challenges.

In a joint statement after the meeting, the Ministers said that while the two countries' Defence Forces have always been close, successive deployments on combined and coalition operations have highlighted the importance of maximising joint operational capabilities, interoperability and integration. These imperatives were reflected in the joint statement made by the New Zealand and Australian Prime Ministers on 20 August.

The Ministers said that giving the Anzac spirit greater contemporary relevance across the spectrum of the two defence organisations was a priority for both nations and announced a series of new Anzac initiatives to further strengthen Closer Defence Relations.

"The NZDF and ADF will form a Pacific-focused Rapid Reaction Force to respond to regional contingencies including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.  This force will regularly train and exercise together and be able to deploy at short notice.

"To help facilitate this initiative we will look to revitalise our airlift agreement to provide an efficient Anzac airlift capability. The enhancement of our trans-Tasman information communication technology will be given priority over the next 12 months as a means to facilitate joint contingency planning and closer operational cooperation.

"The development of this capability is an important demonstration of our mutual commitment to work together to promote security, stability and development in the Pacific region and will, over the next six months, be given impetus through joint NZDF-ADF contingency planning for potential regional events."

Dr Mapp said the Australia-New Zealand relationship is important for both countries and is underpinned by the Anzac legacy. "We welcome the opportunity to develop this regional capacity in support of Closer Defence Relations and Pacific regional security," he said.

Senator Faulkner said that the Anzac spirit has served the two nations well over the course of the past century. "With continued impetus I am confident that our capacity to meet common security challenges will continue to grow," he said.

Dr Mapp also announced that New Zealand will fill the Deputy Director position at the Asia Pacific Civil-Military Centre of Excellence at Queanbeyan in New South Wales. The Centre aims to support the development of regional civil-military capabilities to prevent, prepare for and respond more effectively to conflicts and disasters overseas.  Dr Jim Rolfe, currently a principal adviser in the Ministry of Defence, will take up the position from November this year and provide a link to Australia's Deployable Civilian Capacity programme.

The Ministers reaffirmed their resolve and commitment to near neighbours through enhancing regional security capabilities, and discussed the necessity for continuing to support security and stability in East Timor and the Solomon Islands. They reaffirmed the crucial role that the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) was continuing to play in transitioning security responsibilities, and highlighted the effectiveness of the International Stabilisation Force in East Timor.

They spoke about a range of global security issues, particularly Afghanistan, where both countries are supporting vital security and reconstruction efforts. It was agreed that returning stability to Afghanistan would remain a very important objective for the two countries.

The Ministers reviewed their national capability development programmes, with a view to co-ordinating Anzac acquisition processes wherever possible. They agreed that it would be important to continue acquiring capabilities that complement each other's defence assets.

Dr Mapp also took the opportunity to brief Senator Faulkner on the status of the New Zealand Defence Review. Australia completed a Defence Review earlier this year. The Ministers agreed that the timing of the respective Defence Review processes constituted a timely opportunity to strengthen the already strong Anzac ties, both at the strategic and tactical levels.