III 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 324 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 16, 2011 Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Inhofe, and Mr. Webb) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the United States-Australia alliance.

Whereas the United States Government enhanced its relationship with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand with the signing of the Australia-New Zealand-United States (ANZUS) Treaty on September 1, 1951, and subsequently engaged in annual, bilateral Australian-United States Ministerial (AUSMIN) consultations between the Australian Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence and the United States Secretaries of State and Defense, including a meeting in San Francisco in September 2011 that commemorated the 60th anniversary of the United States-Australia alliance; Whereas the alliance remains fundamental to the security of Australia and the United States and to the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region, and is one dimension of a broad and deep relationship between the two countries that encompasses robust bilateral strategic, intelligence, trade, and investment relations based on shared interests and values, a common history and cultural traditions, and mutual respect; Whereas numerous visits by Presidents of the United States, including this week by President Barack Obama, and by the Australian Prime Minister to the United States, including in 2011 when Prime Minister Julia Gillard addressed a Joint Session of Congress, have underscored the strength and closeness of the relationship; Whereas members of the United States and Australian armed forces have fought side-by-side in every major conflict since the First World War, with the commitment to mutual defense and security between the United States and Australia being longstanding and unshakeable, as was demonstrated by the joint decision to invoke the ANZUS Treaty in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; Whereas the Governments of the United States and Australia continue to share a common approach to the most pressing issues in global defense and security, including in Afghanistan, where about 1,550 Australian Defence Force personnel are deployed, and in response to natural disasters and humanitarian crises, such as in Japan following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in March 2011; Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently stated, We are expanding our alliance with Australia from a Pacific partnership to an Indo-Pacific one, and indeed a global partnership…. Australia’s counsel and commitment have been indispensable.; Whereas Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta recently remarked that the United States has no closer ally than Australia…. [We] affirm this alliance, affirm that it remains strong, and that we are determined to deepen our security cooperation even further to counter the threats and challenges that we face in the future.; Whereas the Governments of the United States and Australia agreed to set up a Force Posture Working Group at the November 2010 AUSMIN to examine options to align respective force postures consistent with the national security requirements of both countries and to help positively shape the regional security environment; Whereas the United States and Australia committed in a Joint Statement on Cyberspace during the 2011 AUSMIN meeting to consult together and determine appropriate options to address any threats; Whereas the Government of Australia is a major purchaser of United States military resources, approximately 50 percent of Australia’s war-fighting assets are sourced from the United States, and the Government of Australia has plans to spend a substantial sum over the next 10-15 years to update or replace up to about 85 percent of its military equipment; Whereas, on September 29, 2010, the Senate provided its advice and consent to ratification of the Treaty Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Australia Concerning Defense Trade Cooperation, signed at Sydney, Australia, September 5, 2007, which will facilitate defense trade between the two nations and enhance interoperability between military forces; Whereas the Governments of the United States and Australia support open, transparent, and inclusive regional architectures to preserve and enhance peace, security, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region; Whereas the Governments of the United States and Australia cooperate closely in regional and global forums, as evidenced by Australia’s support for the United States as the host this month of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in 2011 and the United States’ support for Australia to host the G-20 in 2014; Whereas the United States and Australia elevated their trade relationship through the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement that entered into force on January 1, 2005, and exports of United States goods to Australia have risen by 53 percent since that time, totaling $21,900,000,000 in 2010; Whereas the United States is Australia’s largest destination for foreign investment, helping create jobs for United States workers, with Australian companies employing more than 88,000 people directly in the United States; Whereas the Governments and people of the United States and Australia work closely to advance and support human rights, the rule of law, and basic freedoms worldwide; Whereas the Governments and people of the United States and Australia work jointly and separately to support democracy, economic reform, and good governance in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, South and Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, among other areas of the world; and Whereas the Governments of the United States and Australia are working through their respective aid agencies (USAID and AusAID) and also exploring opportunities for collaboration across a wide variety of areas: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the United States-Australia alliance and takes this opportunity to reiterate the enduring significance of this historic friendship that serves as an anchor of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and in the world; (2)supports United States efforts to strengthen military, diplomatic, trade, economic, and people-to-people cooperation with Australia, including initiatives to positively shape the evolving strategic and economic environment that connects the Indian and the Pacific Oceans; and (3)urges close consultation between the Governments of the United States and Australia in preparation for the East Asia Summit to be chaired by Indonesia on November 19, 2011, and encourages other, new forms of cooperation with the Government and people of Australia that strengthen regional architectures to enhance peace, security, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.