This week in Australian foreign affairs: Payne’s press conference on Doha airport, new diplomatic appointments, COVID-19 Development Response Plans for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and more.

On 26 October, Foreign Minister Marise Payne gave a press conference about the allegations that Australian women at Doha Airport were subjected to invasive physical examinations. Payne described the events as “grossly, grossly disturbing, offensive [and] concerning,” and said that the Australian Government had reported the matter to the Australian Federal Police and made its views “very clear to the Qatari authorities.”

Payne announced several diplomatic appointments on 22 October: Ms Gillian Bird as Australia’s new Ambassador to France, Ms Jan Adams as Australia’s new Ambassador to Japan, Mr Philip Green as Australia’s new Ambassador to Germany, Ms Erika Thompson as Australia’s new Ambassador to Colombia, and Mr Luke Williams as Australia’s new High Commissioner to Kenya.

On 23 October, Payne, along with Minister for International Development Alex Hawke announced the creation of 27 country-specific COVID-19 Development Response Plans for Australia’s Southeast Asia and Pacific neighbours. Hawke stated, “The COVID-19 crisis is still unfolding, and its impacts are highly uncertain. Our plans are flexible enough to adjust as these impacts become clearer.”

Payne and Hawke also released a joint statement on 23 October about Australia’s support for Fiji through the Nadi Flood Alleviation Project, which will provide up to $5 million in financing to help reduce the effects of regular flooding on the town.

On 25 October, Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds visited Philippines and met with her counterpart, Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana, where they noted that their respective Defence organisations “had found innovative ways to continue to deepen our defence cooperation during COVID-19.”

Reynolds also announced on 23 October that Australia will cease to deploy a navy ship to the Middle East and will not extend its time-bound commitment to the International Maritime Security Construct beyond December 2020. She noted that, “We now face an increasingly challenging strategic environment which is placing greater demands on ADF resources closer to home. As a result, the Australian Defence Force will reduce its naval presence in the Middle East to enable more resources to be deployed in our region.”

On 27 October, Payne, along with Minister for Trade Simon Birmingham and Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher, announced that the National Museum of Australia’s Songlines exhibition will tour in the United Kingdom in 2021. The exhibition is “a unique cultural asset and the first of its kind, using Indigenous techniques of passing on knowledge, in an exhibition space.”

Birmingham stated on 27 October that Australia hosted a virtual meeting of 22 World Trade Organisation ministers that evening, to “drive negotiations of global rules on fisheries subsidies and discuss the role of the WTO in contributing to the global economic recovery from COVID-19.” Birmingham chaired the meeting and noted that maintaining open trade settings would continue to support “the quickest possible recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Payne and Birmingham also acknowledged the commencement of Mr George Mina’s appointment as Australia’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva on 27 October.

Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese released a joint statement welcoming the 50^th nation ratifying the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, meaning the treaty will now come into force.

Wong also acknowledged the 75^th anniversary of the ratification of the United Nations Charter, and called on the Morrison Government “to make support for multilateralism a bipartisan principle.”

Isabella Keith is an intern at AIIA National Office.

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