In this episode, ASPI’s Brendan Nicholson and Peter Jennings talk about Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s recent visit to Japan to meet with Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and the in-principle reciprocal access agreement. They discuss the significance of the agreement and what it signals about the two countries’ future engagement in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Anastasia Kapetas, The Strategist’s national security editor, speaks with Robert Glasser, ASPI visiting fellow and former head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, about the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. They discuss the commission’s report, which was released in October and included 80 recommendations, and offer their thoughts on the report’s efficacy in helping Australia prepare for future natural disasters.

ASPI senior analyst Huong Le Thu speaks with Moe Thuzar, coordinator of the Myanmar Studies Program at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, about the 8 November elections in Myanmar. They discuss the election process, the National League for Democracy’s victory and what it means for the future of Myanmar and the region.