Welcome Remarks by the Acting High Commissioner of Australia at the Inauguration of the Australian Defence White Paper Workshop

The Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL) in collaboration with the Australian High Commission organised a workshop on the “Australian Defence White Paper” . The workshop which commenced today, the 23rd of October will continue till 25th October 2017.

The Acting High Commissioner of Australia, Mr. Tim Huggins gave the welcome remarks during the inauguration of the workshop.
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"Welcome 
 
Secretary of Defence Kapila Waidyaratne
Navy Commander Vice Admiral Travis Sinniah
Chief of National Intelligence, Sisira Mendis
DG INSSSL Mr Asanga Abeyagoonasekara
 
And the many other senior military officers and officials present. 
 
Today is the culmination of over a year of effort by the High Commission, and in particular our Defence Advisor Captain Jason Sears.
 
This workshop had its genesis in the visit to Australia a year ago by the State Minister for Defence where he learned about the Australian Defence White Paper process.  
 
He asked the white paper team to visit Sri Lanka to share their experience.  So here we are today.  And we’re very grateful the team was able to take some time out of their schedule to visit.
 
As two Indian Ocean nations with shared security interests it makes good sense for us to boost the strategic conversation between our countries, including between our defence establishments. 
 
This is the logical next step in our security relationship, building on the extraordinary success of our cooperation to address people smuggling and other trans-national crimes.
 
Our shared efforts continue to make life difficult for people smugglers in Sri Lanka and elsewhere in the region.  And that important work will continue.  But it is through our cooperation on people smuggling that we have built a special sort of trust and collegiality between officials and services in both countries. 
 
We were very pleased to host Defence Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne in Canberra last month for the Joint Working Group on People Smuggling and Trans National Crime, at which the Secretary signed a new bilateral MOU – Secretary we are grateful for the strong personal commitment you have made to that work over a number of years. 
 
Of course in this extraordinary 70^th year in the bilateral relationship we’ve also welcomed both Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and President Sirisena to Australia.  And during those visits there was strong agreement by our leaders to expand the strategic discussion between Australia and Sri Lanka.  
 
In fact, it is useful to look at the Joint Declaration signed in Canberra in May this year in the presence of President Sirisena and Prime Minister Turnbull.  Under the heading of ‘security and defence cooperation’ it notes (and I paraphrase):
 

1. Our shared interest in a peaceful and secure maritime domain, both as Indian Ocean neighbours, and as trading nations.
2. A commitment to closer cooperation between our countries in the Indo-Pacific to help create a more prosperous and secure region.
3. Continued work together to support, reinforce and strengthen the global rules-based order.
4. Agreement to enhance our dialogue on strategic policy matters, both bilaterally and through regional forums such as the Galle Dialogue and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).
5. Commitment to maintain our efforts to prevent people smuggling and Transnational crime.
6. Commitment to ongoing defence engagement, particularly on maritime security. Including individual training opportunities and provision of expert assistance.

 
So this workshop very much carries forward the wishes of our leaders expressed through that joint declaration.  It brings together our shared regional security interests, our strong relationship of trust, and our joint commitment to expand the strategic discussion between our countries.
 
We note that President Sirisena, from his very first address in Parliament has made clear the primary importance of national security.  Australian leaders place a similar priority on national security.  And the Australian public expects our security experts to be considering threats and opportunities far into the future.
 
The security establishment in Sri Lanka continues to uphold its core responsibilities with great pride.  But we sense that eight years on from the conflict, Sri Lanka’s own security interests are evolving and the time is right to consider afresh Sri Lanka’s strategic outlook.   A new outlook that might take into account Sri Lanka’s broader regional interests, and policy priorities including freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean. 
 
Indeed, we have noticed in the past few years an increasingly outward looking Sri Lanka, an increasingly confident country looking for ways to contribute usefully to the region.  And that’s something Australia welcomes.
 
In this seminar you’ll hear some of the lessons of Australia’s most recent defence white paper process.  Our white papers originate from the Westminster model in which the intended strategic policies of Government are communicated publicly through white papers. They serve as preparatory work for new legislation, and capability acquisition.  But they also encourage a culture of strategic transparency.
 
Australia’s first defence White Paper was released in 1976 and the most recent was released February 2016.  It seeks to define a comprehensive long-term plan to ensure Australia’s national security.  The white paper is the culmination of a significant amount of detailed analysis of our strategic environment, our defence priorities and objectives, and the capabilities required to achieve these objectives.   Importantly it aligns strategy, capability and resources to make the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as capable, agile and potent as possible.
 
The head of Australia’s Prime Minister’s department, Martin Parkinson in a speech last week cited defence planning as one of the core responsibilities of the public service.  Our challenge is to look far over the horizon in a fast changing world to imagine what capabilities would be needed by our children and grandchildren to ensure their national security.  But to do so from a firm base of evidence, and an awareness of our changing context, including non-defence developments such as technology change. 
 
I don’t know if anyone from the Ministry of Finance is here, but I’m sure they’d agree, that defence strategy and capability plans need to be achievable and affordable. National security might be one of the primary responsibilities of government but Defence is one of many priorities and competes with other expensive areas such as health, education, infrastructure, welfare, and so on.  So white papers are all about building the evidence base for long term and complex investments in capability.
 
Australia’s recent white papers have placed a greater emphasis on regional engagement, recognising that Australia’s security and prosperity is directly tied to the stability of our region and to the maintenance of a stable, rules-based global order.
 
This seminar might be considered to be part of that regional engagement.  We know we’re like minded with Sri Lanka on the need to sustain a rules based order.  We share a strong interest in strategic developments across the indo-pacific region.  Our region.  And on most matters we are of similar mind. 
 
For this reason, we see this activity as an opportunity to share our experience with a friend, and a proven partner, with whom there is a great deal of trust that has been built up in the course of practical cooperation.  
 
We hope you find this a useful exercise.  It is one we might repeat with your colleagues in the Foreign Ministry once our Foreign Policy white paper is completed next year. 
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, I trust you have a productive few days. And the High Commissioner and I look forward to hearing about the outcomes in due course.
 
Thank you"