Cooperation Talks Between AUKUS and Other Nations Under Pillar 2 to Commence this Year: UK

London: British Defence Minister Grant Shapps on Monday said that the AUKUS (Australia, the US and the UK) alliance partners would commence collaboration talks with other nations this year, reported Reuters. “We have always said we would engage additional nations in our Pillar Two work as it progresses, and collaborating with like-minded countries will strengthen the partnership further,” Shapps was quoted as saying. 

Specifically, the joint statement made by the defence ministers of the three AUKUS nations mentioned collaboration talks with the nation of Japan with the aim of ensuring “a stable, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region”.

“Recognising Japan's strengths and its close bilateral defense partnerships with all three countries, we are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects,” says the AUKUS joint statement. 

What comes under Pillar II of AUKUS?

The statement further notes that under Pillar II of the AUKUS pact, the three member nations are “pooling the talents" of their respective "defense sectors to catalyse, at an unprecedented pace, the delivery of advanced capabilities”.

“Partners are working with investors, private capital, and traditional and non-traditional industry to translate disruptive technology into asymmetric capability for our three defense forces,” it adds.

The statement notes that the AUKUS nations have “developed principles and models for additional partner engagement in individual Pillar II projects”.

While the exact nature of these projects remains unclear, what is certain is that Japan is not being considered as a collaborator under Pillar I of AUKUS. Under Pillar I, Australia was provided access to classifed nuclear propulsion technology, which will eventually allow Australia to field its own fleet of nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines.