Subjects: East Timor
E&OE...........
PRIME MINISTER:
This is a very important moment for East Timor and it';s a very important moment in the history of the relationship between our two countries. Australians of many generations have had particular reason to feel an affinity towards the people of East Timor, and the World War II generation had special reason to be grateful to the people of East Timor for the assistance given them at critical times during campaigns. And of course the independence movement in East Timor attracted a great deal of support in Australia. And whilst this is very much an occasion to look forward to the future relationship between Australia and East Timor and for all of us to wish the people of East Timor well and to commit ourselves to continued assistance and friendship, it is also an occasion to reflect on the contribution that Australia working with other member states of the United Nations made in the bringing about the independence of East Timor.
I think it';s very important that relations between Australia, East Timor and Indonesia be developed to the full. The way in which the East Timorese leadership has stressed the positive aspects of their country';s relationship with Indonesia is very important to this country';s future. So I would like having just arrived in this soon to be independent country to wish the people of East Timor well on behalf of my Government and on behalf of all of the Australian people.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister you mentioned Australia';s assistance to East Timor so far, will you be announcing any new programmes or assistance ?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I will be announcing some new programs in relation to East Timor';s health system. Since late in 1999 Australia';s been working with the East Timorese to improve basic health services and build the capacity of the Minister of Health and through our overseas aid agency AusAid we';re going to build on these efforts in three significant areas. We';re going to establish a $3 million specialist medical services project which is going to provide specialist medical services. At present there are no practicing East Timorese surgeons or specialists, and the Ministry of Health has very limited resources to maintain essential minimum surgical capability. This project that I';m announcing will provide a general surgeon and an anaesthetist to the Hospital Nacional Dili for three years, and involve approximately 13 visits a year for three years by visiting specialist teams including plastic and reconstructive surgery, eye surgery, ear, nose and throat surgery and also pediatrics. The specialist medical services project is going to be managed by the Royal Australiasian College of Surgeons and we';ll also offer training and surgical and anesthetic services to East Timorese medical personnel.
We';ve also, I think you';ll be aware because the ambulances have arrived, provided 10 four-wheel-drive ambulances for the East Timor District Ambulance Service and they will be at the hospital that I am visiting this afternoon. And there';ll be a training package that will also be delivered to ambulance personnel such as drivers and nurses. At present the Ministry of Health has just four ambulances based in Dili, Baucau, Viqueque and Same. The additional vehicles will assist in establishing a simple, sustainable and low cost district ambulance service in East Timor.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, there';s been some complaints by UN officials and members of the local parliament about the way Australia conducted itself in negotiations on the Timor Gap Treaty, people saying that Australia played a very hard game, and that Australia has unfairly denied East Timor the opportunity to appeal in the international court, if there';s a dispute on boundaries. How do you respond to that ?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I know that whenever you';re negotiating these sorts of arrangements there are strongly held views but when you look at the 90/10 split and the other arrangements that have been agreed I don';t think, consistent with the obligation of the Australian Government to always look to our own national interests which every government must do, I reject the suggestion that we have been unfair. We have looked after Australia';s interests but we';ve also I believe tried very hard to accommodate the interests of East Timor as the split indicates. So I would not agree for a moment that the description you have alluded to is an accurate description of the way in which Australia has behaved.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible] Australia';s troop commitments be beyond independence?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we';ll continue to be part of the force, the UN force, and as the overall UN force comes down so will our contribution. They have done a fantastic job both as part of the Interfet force and subsequently as part of the United Nation';s force.
JOURNALIST:
Can you give us numbers?
PRIME MINISTER:
We';ll probably go down to around 1200 and then there could be further reductions after that. But just exactly when I don';t know.
JOURNALIST:
How long do you think Australian troops will be here for?
PRIME MINISTER:
I have never tried Ian to put a date on that. I think that';s unwise. We would want the United Nation';s presence to remain for so long as necessary and Australia will continue to be part of that presence in a significant way for so long as necessary. I can';t put a time on it. I think if I try and do that I could get into difficulty.
JOURNALIST:
If Australia is so confident of their right to the oil in the Timor Sea why not submit it to the International Court of Justice?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we think the arrangements that have been worked out are fair and reasonable and the position we';ve taken in relation to the international legal position is perfectly consistent with our rights.
JOURNALIST:
Was Australia prepared to give up any land in negotiations on [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we think the provisional arrangements that have been reached are fair. I mean we have all ready made in relation to the 90/10, split we didn';t start off in that position and we gave significant ground, or made significant concessions along the way and we think what has been agreed so far is a fair apportionment.
JOURNALIST:
So boundaries are not negotiable?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we think the provisional agreements that have been reached in relation to that are fair but obviously these things are going to be discussed.
JOURNALIST:
The East Timor parliament plans, as one of its first pieces of legislation, a law on its boundaries, and Dr Alkatiri said the other day they wanted negotiations as soon as possible with Australia on maritime boundaries, when do you thing those…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we will obviously respond to requests that come from the newly independent country of East Timor. We will sit down and talk to them. We';ll be fair and sympathetic but like any other country we';ll also have regard to our own national interest and I think that is understood. We';ve been, I believe in the negotiations so far extremely accommodating and fair to East Timor and it';s important that that be recognised and understood and I don';t for a moment accept that Australia has been unfair.
JOURNALIST:
How would you characterise the strategic relationship with East Timor, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well first of all it';s important because we are partners, or will be from midnight tonight, partners with each other in this part of the world. We have a common interest in good relations with Indonesia but those relations have got to as always be based on mutual respect. We will continue to be a friend of East Timor';s. We understand her natural desire to assert her own identity and to mark out her own way of dealing with affairs in this region. We want to be a good friend and obviously the security of East Timor is important to Australia. We wouldn';t be where we are now if we hadn';t taken that view some years ago.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible] to Dr Habibie first started this ball rolling some years ago, did you expect it would get to this point so quickly and how do you feel today, yourself, about this.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I believe that what Australia did in relation to East Timor was correct. I am pleased that East Timor now has her independence. I don';t say that with any belligerence towards Indonesia. Quite the reverse. I have encouraged the East Timorese leadership to reach out to Indonesia and I';ve encouraged Indonesia to reach out to East Timor. I';m very pleased that President Megawati Sukarnoputri is coming to the gathering tonight, the celebrations tonight. But of the things that we have done in the area of foreign policy over recent years none has been more noble than what we did in relation to East Timor.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible] what is Australia';s policy towards military ties with Indonesia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Australia has a sensible approach to military exchanges with Indonesia. We see value in maintaining contact at an appropriate level.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, this flotilla of vessels from the Indonesian Navy in the last couple of days, would that suggest that there are significant elements within Indonesia that don';t really wish East Timor the best ?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think that';s a matter for you to talk to my friend Jose Ramos Horta about.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible] at a time when East Timor is celebrating, when it is so fresh in the minds of the Timorese, the involvement of the Indonesian military, that they would choose to send four or five warships just off the coast.
PRIME MINISTER:
I think that';s something you ought to ask Jose Ramos Horta and the Indonesians about. I respect the capacity and the right of the East Timorese leadership to respond to that matter on their behalf according to their assessment of the interests of their soon to be independent country.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
I would say that if you want another reaction you talk….I have nothing to add to what I';ve already said.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] I gather the aid budget for East Timor is about $150 million over four years.
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it';s about $157 million over a four-year period.
JOURNALIST:
I';m just wondering how adequate do you think that will be given how poor this place is?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well you have to take into account all of the other commitments we have made. I saw a figure, I forget the exact figure, but when you take in the cost of the military commitment it';s I think somewhere in the order of $2 billion. It';s an enormous figure. Look I';m not ruling out further aid but at the moment I don';t have more to announce.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister when do you see East Timor as being able to stand on its own two feet without relying on substantial international support?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it will be quite a number of years and I would take this opportunity of appealing to the international community not to forget East Timor';s needs after midnight tonight. And I';m pleased at the donor conference, the pledges that have occurred are very good. But the other thing that';s got to be borne in mind is that the long term viability of the East Timorese economy will depend on this country';s capacity to create a good business environment and to attract foreign investment and I would respectfully urge the leaders of East Timor to adopt policies that attract foreign investment. The experience of small newly independent countries over the last thirty years is that those that adopt policies that encourage investment and recognise that in order to invest companies must be given reasonably stable economic circumstances, predictable taxation and corporate governance regimes, is that I hope East Timor goes down that path because that';s quite important. If that doesn';t happen all the aid in the world will not be sufficient.
The reality of poor countries and under-developed countries is that it is not official overseas aid which is the key to their future prosperity. It';s business investment and a more open trading system around the world. Those two things are more important and can bring more prospect of rises in living standards than superficial overseas aid. There';s a focus I know on that but I think it';s a misplaced focus.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]in light of that would it be better to give the Timorese a better deal on the oil rather than…
PRIME MINISTER:
We';ve already given them a very good deal on this….
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] saying that';s not the cast…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don';t agree with them.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister the money to be made from Timor Sea oil is largely downstream in processing , will there be any share of that for East Timor ?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the share will be what has been negotiated.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] greater downstream.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that is the nature of how these things operate.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard are you pleased with Indonesia';s progress on bringing to justice those responsible for crimes against humanity here in 1999 and before ?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think there has been some progress made and I think given all of the circumstances I think it is more than some expected.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister you opened by talking about Australia';s historic connections with East Timor, in that light do you regret the role that you played and that Coalition governments played from ‘76 to ‘83 in recognising Indonesian sovereignty here, in severing radio links with Darwin [inaudible] shipments of independent aid [inaudible]. Do you have any regret about that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well let me put it this way, I think that the policies that have been adopted over the past few years, given the circumstances that arose in those years were the right policies. As to what was done in the past it';s possible to criticise governments of both political persuasions in Australia for what has been done in the past. But for my part I';m pleased to say that over the last number of years we have adopted a policy stance which was right, it was fair, it was just, and it';s something of which I';m very proud.
JOURNALIST:
Hr Howard on the question of prosecutions, you say that some progress is being made, and it';s more than some expected, but isn';t the point that not enough is being done ?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there will be a range of views on that and I have responsibilities as the Australian Prime Minister in relation to what Australia does and I have a capacity to put views in an appropriate way to other countries. It';s not always appropriate to put views other than through the normal diplomatic circles.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] behind closed doors.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I';m simply making the point that there are a lot of considerations that the Indonesian Government has and my responsibility is to balance all of these things and it';s not to run around with dare I say a megaphone.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, will you be inviting the new defence force to annual military exercises….
PRIME MINISTER:
Which new defence force?
JOURNALIST:
The East Timor defence force.
PRIME MINISTER:
Look we haven';t…. I mean I';m not ill-disposed to that at all but I think it';s just a little bit early to be talking about that. That';s something that I think I';ll refer to the Defence Minister.
JOURNALIST:
The reconciliation process in this country [inaudible]. If Timor needs international assistance [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think that';s the sort of thing that we would respond to if we were asked. I';m not going to flag it in advance. It sounds, you know, I';m not going to presume to tell the people of East Timor how to conduct their internal affairs. That is a matter for them. I';m certainly not going to say other than if an approach were made to us then we would consider it on its merits at the time but no approach has been made and I';m therefore not going to presume to say other than that because it';s really a matter for the people of East Timor. Thank you.
[Ends]