Australia PM says AUKUS pact to ensure peace, security in Indo-Pacific

FILE PHOTO: Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison gestures as he makes a statement at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain November 1, 2021. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS

(Reuters) - Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday that the new AUKUS defence alliance with Britain and the United States will contribute to peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a speech to the World Economic Forum, Morrison said Australia wanted to maintain an "open rules based international system that allows nations to flourish free from coercion."

(Reporting by Martin Petty; Writing by Ed Davies)