Key Points
- Albanese says he would welcome increased military cooperation between Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.
- Mr Albanese arrives in Madrid on Monday afternoon local time for the NATO Summit in Spain.
The rise of China and other autocratic governments has fuelled the need for more military co-operation between Australia and its Asia-Pacific allies, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says.
Mr Albanese arrives in Madrid on Monday afternoon local time for the NATO Summit in Spain, as part of his European trip which will include a visit to Paris.
Speaking to AAP on Monday, the prime minister said he would welcome increased military cooperation between Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea to arise from the sideline meeting planned for the NATO Summit.
"I would like to see increased interoperability with the armed forces of those Asia-Pacific nations," Mr Albanese said.
"China is becoming increasingly aggressive and now they have that (no limits) relationship with Russia.
"We as democracies need to stand up for the rule of international law, our values, and denounce that behaviour."
It will be the first time the "Asia-Pacific Four" have been invited to attend the security discussions, amid an ongoing war in Ukraine and regional security issues in the Pacific.
Australia's attendance at the summit is part of a recognition that regional conflicts have massive global ramifications, and the need for "like-minded" countries to work together against nations that don't share those same values.
Mr Albanese will hold one-on-one meetings with other leaders at the summit for the first time since he was elected prime minister.
Following the NATO Summit, Mr Albanese will travel to Paris where he will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in a step to fixing the relationship after Australia tore up a $90 billion submarine deal with contractor Naval Group.
When asked what was expected of Australia to mend relations, the prime minister said his Parisian visit was a "step in the right direction" and built upon the $830 million to be paid in compensation over the dumped contract.
"The visit to Paris is one of the concrete actions in repairing that relationship," he said.
"France is a significant world leader, it's a nation that has territories in the Pacific, we've fought on the battlefields together."
Mr Albanese said the total $3.4 billion that had been spent on the project was a saving from the estimated $5.5 billion figure revealed in Senate estimates.
Mr Albanese has yet to announce whether he will travel to Kyiv, as security assessments are still underway on safety concerns.
But he said it was important that the more than $285 million in military assistance that Australia has pledged for Ukraine is fully delivered.
A number of promised military vehicles still need to be flown over to the war- torn nation.
"Russia thought its military action was going to be quick ... I want to see a long lasting commitment to Ukraine that doesn't wane over a period of time," he said.
"Russia has not weakened NATO, but strengthened it and its resolve."
