Australia is looking to deepen ties across the Indo-pacific with Foreign Minister Marise Payne and the Minister of Defence Peter Dutton jetting off on a tour of the region for a series of 2+2 meetings with their counterparts from Indonesia, India, South Korea, and the United States. In a joint press release on Sep. 8, Payne and Dutton said that the tour would enable Australia to reinforce our active engagement in the region and advance Australia’s contribution to peace and stability in the region. “Australia’s security and economic prosperity is deeply integrated with those of our regional partners in the Indo-Pacific. We share with these key partners a vision for an open, inclusive and resilient region, underpinned by mutual prosperity and stability,” the joint release said. Payne noted that the most pressing issue for discussion is cooperation for the region’s recovery from COVID-19. “During our meetings and engagements across the four countries, …