7 October 1999
E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………
Sir Mekere Morauta, Lady Roslyn, members of the Government of Papua New Guinea, other distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen. May I first of all say Prime Minister for myself and my wife Janette how much we appreciate the friendly hospitality that has been extended to us. This is the first occasion that I’ve been able to visit your country since becoming Prime Minister. I was meant to be here last year but other events intervened to prevent it. But I am very happy to find the time and to find the opportunity at a special juncture in our relationship to come here and to say a few things to you on behalf of Australia and on behalf of the Australian Government.
The friendship between our two countries is very well known. Like the friendship between any two people the friendship between any two nations must always be worked on and kept in very good repair. Of course the friendship between nations can sometimes be put under strain. And I have to say to you Prime Minster as the patron of the great St George Rugby League Club, that friendship was put under strain in the Grand Final. An eminent citizen of your country played a major role in the defeat of the great St George Rugby League Club. But it was a wonderful game of rugby league and he’s been an absolute ornament to your country and to the game in the contribution Marcus has made to the team for which he’s played.
But Prime Minister, I greatly admire, and my fellow countrymen and women greatly admire the steps that you and your Government are taking against a very difficult background to stabilise and over time strengthen the economy of Papua New Guinea. You face difficulties that few Australians fully comprehend. But there are a lot of Australians who do comprehend the difficulties that you face, and there is a deep well of understanding and sentiment and feeling towards your country in Australia. It’s based on long years of friendship and association. It’s based on shared experiences in peace and in war. And it’s also based upon the very extensive people to people contacts that exist between our two societies. I’ve watched in particular the strenuous efforts that you’ve made Prime Minister to engage your economy and your Government and your country with the international financial institutions. And I commend the commitment you’ve made to a continuation of that engagement because it is very important to the long term strength and stability of your country. We all are part of a globalised economy. We all depend upon the attitude of other countries towards us. None of us, not even an economy as mighty as that of the United States of America can live in isolation from the attitudes and the judgements of other countries and other economies.
Australia has announced today some significant assistance. I believe that the assistance announced today will make a very important contribution to building international confidence in your currency. But of equal importance Prime Minister is the fact that the policies to which you have committed yourself since your election will also build that international confidence, because any nation that seeks to go about tackling her own domestic economic challenges with resolution and commitment will over time attract the support and the understanding, not only of the international financial institutions, but also of the international investors. Private sector confidence in an economy is a very valuable asset. It’s important to me as Prime Minister of Australia so far as the Australian economy is concerned, and I know that it is important to you as Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.
I was immensely pleased to hear in our discussions this afternoon, of the progress that is being made, towards the very difficult challenges that successive governments of this country have faced in relation to Bougainville. And Sir Michael Somare’s assessment of what is occurring there now gave me great encouragement. And Australia has been very pleased to play a constructive role in the peace monitoring group, and will go on providing assistance and understanding and help as best we can in the months ahead. But it does seem to us as I’m sure it does to you that gradually you are inching towards a solution to a problem that has proved enormously costly both in human life and resources, and also so far as the treasure of your own country is concerned. And all friends of Papua New Guinea will hope that that problem is brought to a proper end and proper fruition.
You mentioned Prime Minister the situation in East Timor. Of course it’s an issue that has very much consumed the efforts and the commitment of the Australian Government over the past few months. We see our role in East Timor as being the role of a nation that seeks to be none other than a good international citizen in our region. We have acted in East Timor along with others in response to a request from the United Nations and with the agreement of the Government of Indonesia. We have always sought good relations with the Government and the people of Indonesia. Indonesia is your neighbour, Indonesia is our neighbour. It’s a very large neighbour of 211 million people. And over the years in different ways successive Australian governments have endeavoured to give assistance and help and to extend understanding to the people and the Government of Indonesia. It is inevitable because of the events in East Timor that Australia’s relationship with Indonesia will go through a period of some strain. But in the medium to longer term I am confident, and most Australians are confident, that the desirability of us working together closely and sharing a future on a proper basis of mutual respect for each other’s differences as well as the points we have in common, that those feelings will assert themselves and that the relationship will lose some of the tension that inevitably it has acquired over recent months.
The Australian contribution to the peace enforcement operation in East Timor is being made in cooperation with the contributions of many nations. And I acknowledge those contributions. As Prime Minister of Australia I acknowledge those contributions most warmly. In time there will be a full United Nations peacekeeping force in what is styled as phase three. We take the view that the people of East Timor having voted in a properly supervised ballot to the tune of some 80% in favour of independence, we take the view that they are entitled to have that independence. And we and others in the region and in the broader world community will be required to provide assistance and help to the people of East Timor to make their independence reality. But already the indications are that some degree of relative normalcy is returning to that very troubled province. And the fact that we along with others have made a contribution to restoring more peaceful and tranquil conditions is a source of considerable satisfaction to not only the Government but also to the people of Australia.
Can I finally say to you Prime Minister that our two countries have had over the years a very close association. We’ve had our differences but we’ve never lost a very deep affection for each other. There is a natural desire on the part of the people of Australia to be good friends with the people of Papua New Guinea. Friends recognising that you have your proud independence as a sovereign nation with your distinctive national characteristics, playing your part in the region and in the broader world community. We share a membership of APEC, we share a membership of the Commonwealth, and we share a membership of the South Pacific Forum. But most importantly we share a history which has brought our two nations and two societies together in easier times and more difficult times. We share values. We each respect the value of democratic institutions. And in the face of considerable difficulties your country has preserved the essential institutions and instruments of a democratic way of life. And it’s something that we respect and it’s something that we share very much with you.
I hope that our brief visit which we’re enjoying very much, makes a small contribution to further strengthening an already close relationship. We are your friends. We have always been your friends, and we will always be your friends. And I hope as Prime Minister of Australia in the time that I hold that office I will be able to further build on that very great friendship between our two countries and our two peoples. Thank you.
[Ends]