17 November 2023
Former Defence Minister, diplomat and Governor of Western Australia Kim Beazley said the Indo-Pacific 2023 International Maritime Exposition, from November 7-9, was an excellent example of naval diplomacy.
“We have a whole bunch of chiefs of Navy from around the region here. They are having a wonderful time. They are learning a lot and we are learning a lot from them,” Mr Beazley said during the event.
“This is Class A naval diplomacy.”
Indo-Pacific 2023 encompassed the Royal Australian Navy’s Sea Power Conference, drawing defence and security experts from around the world.
This year’s strategic discussions revolved around themes such as naval diplomacy and deterrence, and maritime security challenges.
Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia at King’s College London Alessio Patalano said the conference provided a strong sense of where the region is at, and what leaders and experts in the region are focusing on.
“This is the conference in the region with the greatest capacity for convening power, bringing together a variety of delegations and their perspectives from across what is a very large space,” said Professor Patalano.
“If you have limited time as we all do and you have to make hard choices, then the Sea Power Conference Series becomes the place you want to be.”
Director Defence Strategy and National Security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute Bec Shrimpton said she liked to see familiar faces and the evolution of thought.
“Something like Sea Power plays an incredibly important role in all of us being more capable and competent in our jobs,” Dr Shrimpton said.
University of Wollongong lecturer Prakash Gopal, a retired Indian Navy Commander, has been to each iteration of the conference since he moved to Australia in 2018.
“I think it’s a conference I enjoy immensely because of the range of panels, the depth of expertise that comes in and the people that come over from all over the world, including some of my friends from the Indian Navy,” Dr Gopal said.
“Navies have this way of bringing people together from multiple countries and I think this is just another continuation of naval diplomacy.”
