The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade held the inaugural Space Policy Dialogue between Australia and the Republic of Korea, last week.
The department’s Ciara Spencer, first assistant secretary for the Security Division, met with Korea’s director-general of Non-proliferation and Nuclear Affairs Young-hyo Park and the visiting delegation on Thursday.
In a statement, DFAT said the group discussed multilateral space cooperation, space security, and the commercial space sector.
“Both the Republic of Korea and Australia have aspirational space programs and growing commercial space industries, and are working with like-minded countries to reduce space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours,” the statement said.
At the inaugural Australia & the Republic of Korea Space Policy Dialogue, 🇦🇺 & 🇰🇷 discussed space cooperation, space security & the commercial space sector.
Both 🇦🇺 & 🇰🇷 have growing commercial space industries & are working with like-minded countries to reduce space threats. pic.twitter.com/3suZ5UF0EA
— Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇦🇺 (@dfat) July 15, 2022
Last December an MOU was signed by both nations committing their countries to exploring ‘bilateral cooperation and support international efforts to develop norms of behavior in space’.
The agreement said the objective of the partnership was to contribute to shaping a safe, secure and sustainable space domain.
“The two governments will explore enhancing links between space science communities in Australia and the ROK through the 2022 Australia-ROK Tech-Bridge, which will focus on space cooperation,” the MOU read.
The MOU was preceded by an agreement struck between Australia’s former foreign minister, Marise Payne, in a 2+2 meeting with her Korean counterpart, Chung Eui-yong last September.
“The inaugural Dialogue achieved an important outcome of the Australia-Republic of Korea Foreign and Defence Ministers’ 2+2 Meeting in September 2021,” DFAT’s statement said.
:
Australia cannot afford to rely on foreign satellites, AAS warns
