The U.S. State Department has confirmed the sale of 220 cruise missiles and other military hardware to Ausralia, worth $895 million (€841 million).
In a statement, the department has stressed the importance of this sale to »ensure peace and economic stability in the region», in addition to highlighting that it is also in the best interests of the United States to »assist our allies in developing and maintaining a strong and ready defense capability».
For his part, Australia’s Defense Minister Pat Conroy told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: »This is how we promote peace and stability, by putting question marks on the metne of any potential adversary.
»We are facing the greatest strategic uncertainty since 1945,» the minister insisted. »We are facing an arms war in the region, and a responsible government like ours is taking care of it by investing to the extent of its capabilities,» he added.
This announcement comes in the same week that Australia and the United States, together with the United Kingdom, have signed a new military and industrial agreement under AUKUS, which includes the sale of between three and five U.S. nuclear submarines to Canberra and a program for the construction of a new type of submarine for the British and Australian navies using U.S. technology.
The agreement, as well as the collaboration between these three countries, did not please China, which considers that it harms »peace and stability in the region», in the words of the Chinese delegation to the UN.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
