Subjects: Meeting with Prime Minister of Japan; Proposed meeting with President Wahid of Indonesia; Papua New Guinea; Solomon Islands; Fiji
E&OE...
JOURNALIST:
How was the meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan and what did you discuss?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it was a very positive meeting. Of course it takes place in sad circumstances. The last time I was at the Akasaka Palace my wife and I were guests of the late Mr Obuchi and his wife. Both Mr Mori and I agreed that Mr Obuchi had made a very big contribution to rebuilding the Japanese economy. I found him a dignified, decent man who was very committed to the interests of his country and also very committed to a strong bilateral relationship between Australia and Japan.
Mr Mori and I are both of the view that that bilateral relationship is critical to both of us and we will do everything we can as fellow Prime Ministers to further strengthen it. I invited him to come to Australia. We have a more or less a standing arrangement which I developed with Mr Hashimoto that we visit each others country every other year so that a twelve month period does not go by without there being a bilateral Prime Ministerial visit and I hope it might be possible for him to do that.
We talked about the Japanese economy. Of course as fellow politicians we exchanged a few thoughts about the upcoming Japanese election but that of course is a matter for the Japanese people. But you can't keep two politicians from talking about a political campaign. We exchanged a few words over that.
He talked about his hopes for the G8 meeting at Okinawa which will be held in July. I emphasised to him the importance that Australia continued to attach to that meeting coming out very strongly in favour of a new trade round. And it was a very positive meeting and I'm quite certain that he's very committed to the relationship and in honour of my call he was sporting a Wallaby tie because he is as you all know a very keen follower of rugby union.
JOURNALIST:
What are you expecting later tonight when you meet President Wahid of Indonesia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think the most important thing is that it will be an opportunity face to face for me to say that the relationship between our two countries is very important to Australia. I will be saying that we should be focusing on the present and the future and not so much on the past. I admire what President Wahid has done, the transparency and democracy and openness that he has brought to Indonesia's institutions. I will be assuring him of our support for the territorial integrity of the Republic of Indonesia which is under some challenge from various areas within but they are matters for the Indonesian authorities to deal with.
Indonesia is a very important country to Australia but what we need to do is to focus on the things that we have in common, the things that we agree about and the things that are important to our future and there are many of those. He has taken over the leadership of his country at a very difficult time in its history and I think he's done a remarkable job. He's brought stability and hope and purpose to the country and as best I can and as best the Australian Government can it will lend support because his success will be Indonesia's success and our success.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] your meeting come at a particularly opportune time. Of course it's impossible to predict that the meeting would come about in this way but is it happening at a particular important time for relations in the region.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that's the sort of observation a commentator makes. I'm a participant. Really it's up to you to make those sort of observations. I have always been happy to meet President Wahid. I'm looking forward to the visit. I'm also looking forward to his visit to Australia.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] with Mr Mori canvas the South Pacific [inaudible] the problems there?
PRIME MINISTER:
Briefly yes and there's going to be a meeting this afternoon after the ceremony of South Pacific countries and I'll be seeing Sir Mekere Morauta after lunch as well.
JOURNALIST:
You told the party room the other day that you were concerned about the region's stability and the potential for that to sort of export to Papua New Guinea yet you've got confidence in Sir Mekere. What sort of message will you be giving to him about Australia's support in the region?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't canvas what is said or not said in the party room. I do have a lot of respect for what Sir Mekere is doing in Papua New Guinea and Papua New Guinea is very close to Australia and we're very supportive. I think I will take the opportunity of talking to him about the situation in the Solomon Islands, in Fiji. The ethnic tensions in those two countries are not a new phenomena, they've been around for a long time and as in all of these cases it is something for the people in the community concerned to resolve. The remedy ultimately lies in their hands and it's wrong to imagine that they can be silenced from outside unless there is a will inside those countries to bring about a proper resolution of their differences.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think Sir Mekere may have a bit more influence with the Melanesian neighbours [inaudible] for example?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there are a lot of aspects of what's occurring that I want to talk to him about and that's why I've taken the opportunity of us both being in Tokyo to seek a meeting. We always meet of course whenever a PNG, Australian Prime Minister comes to the same meeting it's the most natural thing in the world for them to have a meeting and that's what's going to happen.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] Solomon's for a peacekeeping operation. What's your position on that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the situation is evolving and I don't want to say yes or no to questions like that, I don't think that's appropriate at the present time. The request that was made earlier was not one that we thought should be acceded to for the reasons that we've explained and we're quite sure that was correct. In the end the people there in different groups have got to come to an accommodation. They have to embrace some kind of peace process themselves and we encourage them to do that and there are some signs that that might be occurring although the situation is still quite fragile and we're getting regular hourly reports on it. I don't think I want to take that any further.
JOURNALIST:
Is it a difficult balance you've got between trying not to offend someone like President Wahid of Indonesia, he appears to have taken offence in the past and at the same time wanting to protect Australia's interests and Australia's interests in democracy in the region?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well life is full of balance.
[ends]