Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles stated that their countries are facing similar challenges in an era of global volatility the world has not seen since the end of World War II, and they believe that strengthening cooperation is essential to avoid conflicts.

Blair and Marles announced an agreement to enhance relations between their countries, as well as to strengthen their collective ability to respond to everything from global challenges to malicious cyber threats.

Marles also serves as Deputy Prime Minister in his country and traveled to Vancouver, the largest city in the province of British Columbia on the Pacific coast, for a bilateral meeting with Blair.

The two ministers issued a joint statement after the meeting in which they condemned the ongoing Russian military invasion of Ukraine that has been going on for two and a half years, China's actions in the South China Sea, and North Korea's ballistic missile tests.

They also reiterated the call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip by the Canadian and Australian Defence Ministers.

The Canadian and Australian Defence Ministers pledged that their armed forces will work together as China and Russia continue their hostilities aimed at testing the global order.

Blair said during a press conference, "Canada and Australia are two countries in the Pacific region, and the security of the Indian and Pacific Oceans is vital to the security of our nations, and today this security is being challenged in several significant and difficult ways."

“China continues the most ambitious military buildup of any country since World War II and seeks to reshape the international order to enhance its own interests,” Blair added.

Blair affirmed that our sovereignty in the Canadian Arctic is being challenged by several potential adversaries, especially Russia and China, but not exclusively, and this is very similar to what we see in the Indian and Pacific Ocean region.

Blair added that closely allied countries, referring to Canada and Australia, “are preparing to avoid war” and demonstrate unity in the face of adversaries whose actions contradict “global interests in maintaining a peaceful environment.”

For his part, Marles said that the cooperation between Canada and Australia aims to deter hostile actors, and that avoiding conflict is "extremely important" as the two nations seek to understand and respond to threats in the Indian and Pacific Ocean region and elsewhere.

Marles added, “The rules-based international order is under more pressure now than at any time since the end of World War II.”