As Australia prepares to send its Minister for Defence Industry and Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy to this week's NATO Leaders' Summit in Türkiye, former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans expresses concern over Canberra's dependence on Washington in a conversation with CGTN's Xu Qinduo.

Australia has walked a careful line on the Iran war by supporting steps to counter Iran's nuclear program while avoiding direct endorsement of US military action. But former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans says that cautious support is out of step with the Australian public, which views the war as "legally indefensible and strategically stupid."

Evans argues that Australia must be more outspoken on breaches of international law, even if it upsets Washington. "You have to call them out and take the consequences."

He expressed his deep concern that over-reliance on an ally that is now "less reliable" than it once was may cause Australia "…sucked into an over-dependence" that comes at the cost of sovereign agency.