AUSMIN (Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations) – what is it, how did it come about and why is it important?

Ahead of next week’s meeting on 6 August in the United States between Australia’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence and the US Secretaries of State and Defense, this week’s episode of Stop the World is a special explainer.

ASPI’s own former AUSMIN attendees, Executive Director, Justin Bassi, and Director of Strategic Communications, David Wroe, reminisce about the annual AUSMIN meeting, its Cold War history and its ongoing significance for the Australia-US relationship, how it has evolved over time, and what you need to know ahead of next week's 34th meeting.

The episode features reflections from the Hon Kim Beazley AC, an AUSMIN founding member who attended the first five meetings as Minister for Defence before returning to the table as Ambassador, and Marise Payne, one of only two people to have attended AUSMIN as both Foreign and Defence minister throughout six meetings. They provide behind-the-scenes insights into why AUSMIN formed, what the meetings were like, the benefits of AUSMIN for both countries and some of the most significant moments across AUSMIN’s history.

For anyone interested in understanding one of the key mechanisms in the US-Australia alliance, this is a useful primer to next week's meeting!