ISSUE 91 : Nov/Dec - 1991 - Australian Defence Force Journal

THE GULF WAR AND AUSTRALIA'S STRATEGIC POSTURE 5
Promoting the United Nations role as an effective arbiter.
Australia's Strategic Posture
Foreign Policy
In developing foreign policy, Australia has defined
an Area of Primary Strategic Interest (APSI); an
area extending north-south from Indo-China to
Antarctica, and east-west from the eastern Indian
Ocean to the south-west Pacific Ocean. Explicitly,
this is our area of primary interest, but Australia's
foreign policy involvement is not confined by these
imaginary boundaries. In addition to defining an
APSI, Australia has enunciated foreign policy
objectives, foremost of which are: 'to defend Australian
sovereignty and political independence; to
secure a free and liberal international trading regime;
to contribute to global security; and, to be a good
international citizen'. 11
With these objectives in mind, Australia seeks to
amass political kudos by participating across a wide
spectrum of international affairs, and in multilateral
and bilateral forums. In this manner, our foreign
policy endeavours to identify Australia as a cooperative
middle power which is prepared to work
with the world community to pursue a common
good. In our APSI, such recognition is particularly
important as Australia is a developed nation in a
region where many nations are emerging from less
developed status, and are seeking assistance in their
development processes. Australia is well-placed to
provide benevolent assistance, and thereby pursue
opportunities to influence outcomes beneficial to
our national interests. 12
Defence Policy
Security is intrinsic to national interests, and
Australia's defence policy seeks to ensure security by
establishing a high degree of self-reliance based
upon a strategy of defence in depth across the sea-air
gap to the north. This is complemented by a
capability to conduct effective operations throughout
our Area of Direct Military Interest; an area
spanning north-south from the Indonesian archipeligo
to the Southern Ocean, and east-west from
New Zealand to the Cocos Islands. 11
Whilst self-reliance is a key aspect of our defence
policy, it exists within an 'interdependent set of
international relationships and alliances'. 14 Prominent
among these are the Five Power Defence
Agreement, and the Australia-New Zealand-United
States (ANZUS) Treaty. In addition to these formal
alliances, Australia is pursuing increased bilateral
defence co-operation with several regional states,