1526th Meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council: Malign Activity in the OSCE Region
Country statement by Australia – delivered by Ms Sophie Antony, Multilateral Policy Officer, Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations and International Organisations in Vienna​
3 July 2025
Chair, Excellencies, colleagues
I thank the United States for raising this important issue.
We live in a world of increasing strategic surprise. We live in a world that is ever more uncertain and unpredictable, and we are seeing this in the OSCE Region.
Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine is a grave threat to regional and global security.
In addition to this conflict causing terrible damage and loss of life in Ukraine, Russia’s war is compounding human suffering, and propelling the global food and energy security crisis.
We continue to call on Russia’s supporters, including China to use their influence to stop Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine and cease support to Russia’s defence industrial base.
Deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, including the deployment of North Korean troops to the battlefront, as well as transfers of weapons to Russia, undermines the global non‑proliferation regime and violates United Nations Security Council resolutions
This deeply concerning development demonstrates how closely Europe and the Indo-Pacific are connected.
It also makes clear the criticality of the perspectives of the Asian Partners in the OSCE.
Chair
Like Participating States, Australia recognises that hybrid and cyber-attacks, foreign interference, economic coercion and disinformation are challenges to the integrity and resilience of our national and regional institutions.
And we welcome opportunities for the Asian Partners for Co-operation to share our perspectives and approaches on these global challenges.
The interconnected nature of our critical infrastructure means that disruptions to our communications networks can have significant cascading impacts across all our economies.
Australia is concerned by any activities that threaten or disrupt undersea cables.
We expect any vessel operating in the vicinity of critical offshore and undersea infrastructure to do so in a safe and professional manner, consistent with established rules, norms, and international law.
Regrettably, this is not always the case. Australia has been closely following the incidents of cable interference in the Baltic Sea.
So too have we been closely watching incidents in the Indo-Pacific, including the cut to an undersea cable between the main island of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands earlier this year.
Australia is also deeply concerned about the rise in shadow fleet activity.
Last month, Australia imposed targeted sanctions against 60 vessels linked to Russia's shadow fleet and its use to circumvent international sanctions, and sustain its illegal and immoral war against Ukraine.
Australia is working to support our partners, enhance maritime security, uphold international law and help regional partners manage their marine resources, including through our Southeast Asia Maritime Partnerships.
And we are actively participating in the International Cable Protection Committee; the International Telecommunications Union Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience; and the Quad Partnership on Cable Connectivity and Resilience.
Chair
In response to global challenges, Australia is investing in our international partnerships, to build our collective resilience and sovereignty.
We look forward to continued collaboration with the OSCE, Participating States and Asian Partners for Co-operation, to address global challenges that affect us all.
Thank you.