E&OE……………………………………………………………………………………
PRIME MINISTER:
Ladies and gentlemen the APEC meeting which has concluded this afternoon had without doubt the best level of camaraderie and a greater sense of purpose than any of the APEC meetings that I have previously attended. This was due in overwhelming measure to the fact that the acts of terrorists attacks had forced on everybody a sense of cooperation and had united the nations of the region and indeed the nations of the world in a sense of common purpose.
There's no doubt that everybody recognises that the difficulties that were apparent in the world economy before the 11th of September have been aggravated by what happened on the 11th of September. However, there was a united resolve amongst the countries to recommit to the Bogor goals and the very fact that the world economy is under greater strain now because of the terrorist attacks is all the more reason why people should work together to achieve those goals.
You have all no doubt read the communiqués. I won't go over the detail in that, but I have no doubt at all that it was the right thing for all of the leaders to be here on this occasion. The very fact that everybody came itself sent a very powerful signal. The last thing the leaders of the world should start to do now is to stay away from meetings. In fact, they should be going out of their way to demonstrate that whilst the world has entered a more difficult and inevitably more defensive phase in relation to terrorism and security, so far as putting a united face to terrorism is concerned, everybody has got to be in it together. And I am very pleased from a national interest point of view that I came to this meeting because it would have looked very odd if Australia had not been represented by its head of government at a time like this and on an occasion such as this.
During the course of the meeting I spoke to President Bush and he gave me a briefing about his assessment of the current stage of the military campaign. He provided me with some detail. Clearly because it involves American military operations it's a matter for him and the members of his Administration to decide what information is made public. I understand the Pentagon is making information available on a regular basis. Suffice it to say that he's very pleased with the progress. It's common knowledge that special forces have been on the ground. He's very pleased with the progress and the impact of the bombing and whilst he is at pains to say that the operation will still go on for some time, he's certainly extremely pleased with the progress to date, and was, I could simply say very positively upbeat.
I had the opportunity also during the course of the day of discussions with President Megawati of Indonesia. I indicated to her that if I were elected again I would make contact with her shortly after the election with a view to discussing the possibility of a meeting between us to talk about a range of issues. I indicated that they would include the question of illegal immigration. I said to her that I recognised, as I do, that that is a difficult issue for her and for Indonesia, and I am understanding of that. Indonesia has many problems and I can understand their priorities would not necessarily put responding immediately to Australian concerns and requests on illegal immigration right at the top, but I also indicated to her that it was a difficult issue for Australia.
She responded positively to my suggestion about us getting in touch regarding a meeting, but that really is a matter that we just have to deal with if I am returned, and I recognise that Ramadan commences about, I think it's approximately the middle of November, so that may obviously have some influence on the timing of any meeting if there were to be one. But I think it's fair to say that there are a lot of issues on the agenda between Australia and Indonesia. There is no difficulty in the relationship at a personal level. There are considerable challenges to the Indonesian government internally at present and, as I said this morning, I think last night, it's not an easy job being President of Indonesia, and I recognise that and I'm sympathetic towards that. But I did indicate to her that one of the issues we clearly should be talking about is illegal immigration.
I don't think it's going to be something that can be quickly resolved, and I say that deliberately, irrespective of who the Government of Australia is after the10th of November. I don't think the problem is who the government is, the question is that it raises issues that are not necessarily as high on the scale of priorities for Indonesia as it is for Australia, and I think we have to recognise that and there's really no point in mincing words about it. But if we keep talking about it and we keep addressing it, then over time I am hopeful that progress can be made, but I'm not presuming to say that we've had some dramatic breakthrough today. I think it would be silly for anybody to write that, but it is correct for people to write that there is absolutely no difficulty in my personal relations with the President, and that I see some of the difficulties, apparent difficulties, in the past and perhaps into the future as being fundamental to different priorities for two countries that are together as neighbours but don't necessarily put the same priority on the same things at the same time.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]. How long was contact with her…..?
H:
Look, I mean you don’t sort of keep a record. I mean if you keep talking to people, you might talk for five minutes about something then you go away and talk to somebody else and then you come back again. Look it just doesn’t work like that. I mean we did not sit down in one room and talk for 20 minutes. I mean I made that clear. But I thought the exchanges between us were positive let me put it that way.
JOURNALIST:
… her phone number this time?
H:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Was there any discussion of potential support in the resolution, the decision, the statement from the meeting, an expression of support for the American attacks on ….
PRIME MINISTER:
No, look it was recognised that, and I think I may have made the comment myself during my intervention, my comments as one of the designated speakers during the lunchtime session, that the people at APEC were….different people, different nations were responding differently and I mean that is self-evident and not everybody is responding in quite the same way. I mean we are responding in a particular fashion, others are responding differently. Everybody is united in a desire to do what we can collectively to fight terrorism, each reflecting their own priorities and the contribution they bring to that collective action.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister you warned that (inaudible) resolution to gaining cooperation from Indonesia on boat people. Does that mean that you'll have to continue the current policy of interception with the Navy and is it your resolution should you win government to maintain the policy that these people will not be allowed to step foot on Australian soil?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes. It is.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister you said that Megawati reacted positively to your idea of a meeting. How did she react to you actually bring up the matter of boat people? Did she have any response at all?
PRIME MINISTER:
No look, she is a person who like all of us has her own style. She's a reserved, very polite, I find very gracious person to talk to, and we had a conversation and I said that there were a number things that we should talk about, including but not only, the issue of illegal immigration. I mean that was the sense of the reference. I mean look, I don't remember every single word that was said but that was the sense of the discussion. I mean my purpose was to register with her the desirability of us, if I'm re-elected as Prime Minister, getting together not too long after the election, to talk about a number of issues including this one. And I made it clear to her that I understood the difficulty for Indonesia, but I indicated that there were difficulties for us as well and it was a matter that needed to be discussed. Now I don't want to put it any higher than that and I'm not trying to, but equally she would have been quite aware of my desire to further discuss the issue and that is self-evident from the continued contacts that we have. But it is difficult and in further elaboration of my answer to Paul, when I say it won't be easily resolved I'm not trying to put a time on that, but we will continue to put our case to the Indonesians and it is the case that last Friday for the first time a boat was escorted back and that has returned to Indonesia. Now that's, I think a very positive development as far as the implementation of our policy is concerned.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister just to clarify, will you however have to leave the Navy in place to continue that policy?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we'll need to continue to use naval vessels, yes.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard would you categorise the (inaudible)? How would you categorise the declaration against terrorism?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I would say quite united. You didn't need a statement to make the point that it was the issue that dominated the whole discussion. It was the, virtually the only issue that was discussed yesterday afternoon at the agenda meeting. It dominated the discussion on the macro-economic outlook. There was a whole session devoted to it over lunch and it came up a little bit this afternoon and of course it was in the communiqué so it really was the issue of, as it is, it's the issue of the time, it's the issue of...
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister how would you categorise the sweep of measures and resolve to tackle this issue?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think very comprehensive bearing in mind that you've got a range of countries making their contributions.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister has President Bush signaled to you his intention to withdraw from the anti ballistic missile treaty?
PRIME MINISTER:
No. Didn't raise it.
JOURNALIST:
With the various discussions you've had with the Leaders during the weekend, what was the general attitude towards your decision to send troops - commit troops?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well those, I mean it's not something that people would normally say well I approve or I disapprove. I mean these meetings don't work that way. Clearly those countries that have made military contributions like Canada, I mean John Chretien and I have known each other now for a long time and we were seated next to each other and we talked quite a bit and, but those countries that haven't didn't say well look you must understood…. they didn't raise the subject and I wouldn't expect them to either.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard you mentioned that it’s important to make sure that leaders attend meetings during this time does that extend to Mark Vaile attending the WTO talks getting underway which coincide with the date of the election?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think I used the word leaders. Now I don’t mean a put down by that, but there is a difference between a very high profile meeting and others. I mean it was a pity that the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting was postponed. But it was unavoidable because Tony Blair indicated that he couldn’t come and given the range of commitments that he subsequently undertook in the Middle East and elsewhere it’s apparent why. I’m not being critical of him. I’m just making the observation that it was unfortunate that once he pulled out of the CHOGM meeting then you really had to put it off. You can’t have a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting without the attendance of the British Prime Minister any more than you can have a meeting of the Organisation of the American States without the American President being there.
JOURNALIST:
Is today’s discussion and communiqué on terrorism, in the sense of being a non-economic issue, a one off? Are we looking at just a one off for APEC?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we haven’t really addressed that issue Ian. It might turn out to be the case. But I’m not sure. I wouldn’t like to offer a view on that.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, was a deal finalised with Papua New Guinea during the bilateral meeting and….?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that issue is, in a sense, I think it has been already. I mean I understand that a group of people are either on the way there or will be on the way there tomorrow.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Who am I having dinner with? My wife I hope.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, you know, I live in hope of seeing more of this on the screen on the tenth of November than any other colour.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, [inaudible] President Megawati, did you indicate your willingness to travel to Jakarta at all or did you invite her to Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look we haven’t sort of fixed on that. But I mean I’m not hung up about that. I mean I don’t mind going to Jakarta again. I mean that’s not an issue. It really isn’t an issue.
JOURNALIST:
Are you looking forward to seeing the troops tomorrow Mr Howard?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes if that proves to be feasible as far they are concerned. I think looking forward is, because of the circumstances of which I’m visiting them, it seems, I mean I will certainly be very pleased to say a few words to them. But it’s not a situation that any of us had wanted to occur. But it has and I’ll certainly want to say a few words to them and as I said yesterday if the visit is convenient to the military people I would want Mr Beazley to come as well.
JOURNALIST:
What more can you tell us about when the troops might actually.…
PRIME MINISTER:
I can’t at this stage, no. Because it’s not yet been resolved, that’s why.
[Ends]