German, Australian Ministers to Discuss Ukraine, Syria at First Ever 2+2 Meeting

German and Australian defense ministers are set to convene in Berlin on Tuesday, the German Foreign Office said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Foreign and defense ministers from Germany and Australia are set to convene in Berlin on Tuesday for the first ever talks in this format on Syria and Ukraine, the German Foreign Office said Monday.

"The talks will focus, apart from the German-Australian relations, on urgent issues of international security and defense politics, such as the current situation in Ukraine and Syria," the German Foreign Office said in a statement.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Defense Minister Marise Payne will be first greeted with military honors at the German Defense Ministry.

From there, they will proceed to Villa Borsig, the guest house of the German Foreign Office in Berlin, for "2+2 consultations" with Germany’s counterparts Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Ursula von der Leyen.