[Australia]: Message to Portugal [SEC=SECRET]

[Owen]

​

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS​

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION: SECRET (ENCRYPTED)​

16 April 2005

Dear Secretary Gama, Pending that our government is re-elected tomorrow, I am currently in the United Kingdom on the AUKMIN consultations and was wondering if I could extend this visit to Europe to include Portugal. I was hoping to include France, but have yet to hear anything from them. Spain, likewise. We see Portugal as one of the most active European nations on the world stage at the moment, so its imperative we develop good relations. The recent developments in New Caledonia has caused Australia to double down on its efforts in the Pacific and to also re-assess the dynamic of the region. Currently there is one former Portuguese territory in the region, Timor-Leste. We would like to make sure that Australia and Portugal are on the same page about Timor-Leste's security, hopefully come to an agreement and/or establish some sort of framework to enable us to respond quickly to any deterioration in the situation in Timor-Leste and to avoid a situation like we see currently in New Caledonia, a complete basket case. During that situation we also saw a Portuguese task force be deployed to the region with little to no consultation and which added fuel to already growing tensions between several players in the region, something we are also keen to avoid. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Kevin Rudd.

Parliament House, CANBERRA, ACT 2600 Telephone: (02) 6277 7700​

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Bruno

 

[Owen]

Bruno

 

[Bruno]

SECRET

To: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Owen
Subject: Proposed Visit and Discussions on Timor-Leste Security

Thank you for reaching out, and please allow me to convey our best wishes for tomorrow’s elections. We would be pleased to welcome you to Portugal as part of your extended European visit, and we share Australia’s view on the importance of strengthening our partnership, particularly given the recent developments in the Pacific.

Regarding New Caledonia, Portugal’s rapid deployment was, above all, a response to the urgency of evacuating stranded Portuguese nationals amidst escalating conditions. Time was critical, and our immediate priority was the safety of our citizens on the ground. However, we fully acknowledge that better coordination with Australia and other regional partners will help prevent misinterpretations and allow us to operate in greater unity moving forward.

There is significant value in establishing a cooperative framework for the Pacific region, especially in supporting the stability of Timor-Leste. Such a framework would allow Portugal and Australia to act quickly in times of crisis, with shared protocols in place to ensure alignment. We look forward to discussing these ideas in greater detail during your visit and exploring how we can strengthen our mutual interests in Timor-Leste and beyond.

Please let us know your availability, and we will ensure the necessary arrangements are in place for a productive visit.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience.

President of the Portuguese Republic,
Pedro da Gama,