Doorstop – Vilnius, Lithuania | Prime Minister of Australia
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I’m very pleased to be here at the second meeting of the Indo-Pacific Four on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. And Australia is here because we understand that in today’s interconnected and globalised world, what occurs in NATO countries also has an impact on the Indo-Pacific. And we’re reminded of the interconnectedness around the world with the once again, egregious launch of an ICBM by North Korea overnight. Australia condemns North Korea for once again breaching UN rules, and by breaching the international rule of law, and with once again a provocative action, and we stand particularly with our friends in South Korea at this time. This NATO Summit comes unfortunately, with the land war in Ukraine continuing. Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion continues to have a devastating impact on the people of Ukraine. But it also has an impact on the economies around the world with higher inflation, with cost of living pressures and with food security becoming an issue as well. It is a reminder of why we need to be engaged and to shape the future rather than allow it to shape us and that is why Australia is here. And we’re very pleased to have formed such a strong personal relationship with the leadership of Japan, South Korea and New Zealand and we look forward to a very constructive engagement here this morning.