AUSMIN (Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations) – what is it, how did it come about, and why is it important?

ASPI’s own former AUSMIN attendees, Executive Director, Justin Bassi, and Director of Strategic Communications, David Wroe, reminisce about the annual AUSMIN meeting, its Cold War history and its ongoing significance for the Australia-US relationship, how it has evolved over time, and what you need to know ahead of next week's 34th meeting.

The episode features reflections from the Hon Kim Beazley AC, an AUSMIN founding member who attended the first five meetings as Minister for Defence, and Marise Payne, one of only two people to have attended AUSMIN as both Foreign and Defence minister throughout six meetings. They provide some behind-the-scenes insights into what the meetings were like, the benefits of the these meetings and some of the most significant moments across the AUSMIN meetings they attended.

For anyone interested in understanding one of the key mechanisms in the US-Australia alliance, this is a useful primer to next week's meeting!