Julie Bishop says focus remains on UK free trade deal despite Boris Johnson exit

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will push the United Kingdom’s new Foreign Secretary to commit to a free trade agreement and Britain’s re-engagement in the Pacific following Boris Johnson’s resignation over Brexit.

While officials were continuing preparations, Ms Bishop said it was unsure whether the coming annual diplomatic and defence talks between Australia and the UK would take place as the new Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt settles into the role.

Under Mr Johnson’s tenure, Britain’s foreign policy had become more outward looking as it prepared for life after Brexit. He recently announced several diplomatic posts would be opened on Pacific Islands, while he also muscled up to China over its South China Sea territorial claims and erosion of autonomy and freedoms in Hong Kong under Beijing’s auspices.

Ms Bishop praised the colourful Mr Johnson for the job he had done as Britain’s top diplomat, describing him as a “great friend of Australia”.

“I developed a very close personal rapport with him. We worked closely together on many regional and global challenges and developed a strong friendship,” she said.

Amid speculation Mr Johnson’s resignation over the terms of the Brexit deal Theresa May will put to the European Union is a prelude to a leadership challenge, Ms Bishop said Australia was looking for “stability and certainty” from the United Kingdom.

“I hope that Australia will be able to continue our discussions with the United Kingdom regarding a free trade agreement with Australian when the time is appropriate,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to talking with the new Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt as soon as possible about some of the initiatives that we achieved with Secretary Johnson and what continuity there will be.

“He will of course want to put his own stamp on Britain’s foreign policy, but we have achieved much together over a number of years. There is always a close and deep engagement between Australia and the United Kingdom.”

Ms Bishop said Britain faced “significant challenges” as it sought to negotiate its relationship with the continent, but it was “very early days” on whether the so-called soft Brexit, which would still see Britain bound by EU regulations on goods and agri-food products, hampered Australia’s ability to strike a free trade agreement with London.

The annual AUKMIN talks between Ms Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne with Mr Johnson and UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson had been planned to be held in the UK – most likely Edinburgh – shortly but preparations were now up in the air.

“We are yet to work out whether AUKMIN will proceed in its current format,” Ms Bishop said.

The Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands program director Jonathan Pryke said while Britain had strengthened its rhetoric on assisting the Pacific, he remained sceptical about the commitment unless it was matched by extra resources on the ground.

Nevertheless, he did not expect Mr Hunt to backtrack on the Pacific, adding Commonwealth relations was another aspect of foreign policy that received extra attention under Mr Johnson’s watch.

“There is enough going on with the Brexit process so I can’t imagine they would want to rock the boat somewhere else,” he said.

Despite the uncertainty over AUKMIN, Ms Bishop and Senator Payne will head to the northern hemisphere later this month for the annual talks with their US counterparts Mike Pompeo and James Mattis.

The AUSMIN talks will be held at Stanford University near San Francisco on July 23-24.

by Andrew Tillett – Financial Review