ISIL fight needs many shoulders to wheel

Defence Minister Marise Payne says the coalition fighting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is keen to grow its numbers.

Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne

Defence Minister Marise Payne says the coalition fighting Islamic State is keen to grow its numbers. (AAP)

The fight against Islamic State needs many "shoulders to the wheel", Defence Minister Marise Payne says.

The minister is in Paris for a meeting of the counter-Daesh coalition, alongside representatives from France, the US, United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany.

"We also are very keen to grow the numbers participating in the coalition ... it needs many shoulders to the wheel and all of us who were here today will be reinforcing that with our colleagues more broadly," she told reporters.

Senator Payne said the meeting assured the world the military strategy to destroy IS was "front of mind for all of us".

The seven nations also discussed combating the social media campaign waged by IS and a longer-term strategy.

"We know that as we make gains in places such as Ramadi we must ensure that stabilisation continues after those gains and that we support local communities in re-establishing themselves and engaging in their own country," the minister said.

Countries will build on the discussions at the NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels in February.

Senator Payne praised the work of the men and women in uniform on the ground.

"In everything they do I wish them great safety and great effectiveness as they carry out their extremely important tasks," she said.


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Source: AAP



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