Australia and the United States 2004-2005: All the Way with the U.S.A.?

Since the end of the Second World War, common heritage, history, culture, language, shared strategic interests, and shared political values have tied Australia to the United States across the Pacific in much the same manner as Britain to the U.S. across the Atlantic. The Australian nation s inherent strategic vulnerabilities in a region perceived as an arc of instability and its predominantly European society s traditional fear of being swamped by Asians in a region that is home to large, populous and powerful nations underlie Australia s historic quest for alignment with a great and powerful friend first Britain, and then the U.S.. To the U.S., Australia s importance as the closest ally in the Pacific is evident from Canberra s unquestioning support of Washington not only throughout the Cold War but also all its post-Cold War strategic moves, from the Iraq War of 1991 to the Missile Defense initiative and the current Global War on Terrorism GWOT. The U.S. also values Australia s contribution to peacekeeping operations such as in East Timor, stabilization of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, and other crisis points in the South Pacific. The Australia-U.S. partnership has reached new heights following Canberra s participation in the U.S.-led war in Iraq, and more recently, Australia was one of the core Group of Four nations that took the lead in helping the tsunami victims in southern Asia. The year 2004 was a landmark year in Australia-U.S. relations. The successful conclusion of some major economic and military deals made Australia the first and only country in the Asia-Pacific to have a Free Trade Agreement FTA that reinforces a 54- year old mutual defense pact. The alliance is now further strengthened by an agreement on the joint development of missile defense systems. The Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations AUSMIN are held on a regular basis.