Subject:
Visit to Japan
E&OE...
PRIME MINISTER:
I just want to say a couple of things about my upcoming visit to Japan. Today I am meeting you to throw forward to those very important days. This year is the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Commerce Agreement between Australia and Japan and that Commerce Agreement laid the foundations of the modern relationship between Australia and Japan and it has been an essential element of this very close partnership between our two countries. Australia has no closer partner or friend in the Asia-Pacific area than Japan and we value the friendship, we value the custom and we place very great store indeed on the bilateral relationship.
I am delighted that negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement will commence on the 23rd of April, and that's been indicated by the Foreign Minister of Japan today and I also look forward to the signing of the Joint Declaration on Security, which is a matter that's been canvassed already. That's a further indication of how close the relationship is. It will mean that our security relationship with Japan will be closer for Japan than with any other country with the exception of the United States. One of the reasons why it has been possible to move towards this Joint Declaration is the close partnership between Australia and Japan in Iraq. And when Australia decided to send a task group to Iraq to provide security for the Japanese engineering group, it was very strongly supported in this country by many people in the context of the contribution it made to the bilateral relationship with Japan.
We have a lot in common. As nations we are both democracies. Japan has been a thriving democracy for 60 years and its contribution has been very, very significant indeed. The commitment to strengthen our cooperation on common strategic interests will flow out of the Joint Security Declaration. It complements out trilateral security cooperation with the United States.
I know Mr Abe well already. We have seen each other on a number of occasions at regional meetings. I look forward very much to visiting Japan again. It's a country I know and respect well and I'm sure that this visit will emphasise in the eyes not only of the Japanese Government, but the Japanese people, the great importance this country attaches to her association with Japan.
Any questions?
JOURNALIST:
I have a couple of questions on the FTA, Japanese farmers are opposing the inclusion of agriculture sector in the FTA. Is Australia willing to make any concessions to appease the farmers of Japan?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't think it's a good idea at the beginning of negotiations to talk about concessions. We start the negotiations in good faith, recognising that we have to achieve balance and we have to achieve mutual advantage if we are to reach an outcome.
JOURNALIST:
I have a question about the joint declaration. Through this framework, what are you going to achieve together with Japan for the peace and security of the region and are you concerned about the Chinese reaction to this new framework and what kind of role do you expect Japanese self defence force to play?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't see it immediately in terms of military matters, I see it rather in terms of emphasising the joint interest we have in security and our strategic relationship. You asked me what do I believe to be the reaction of China, well when we look at a relationship with one country we try to look at it in the context of our relationship with that country and we think there is merit in having a declaration of this kind with Japan. We have a good relationship with China and I don't believe for a moment that this declaration is going to damage our relationship with China. We must remember that Australia and Japan share democratic institutions. Japan is our best customer, we have a Trilateral Security Dialogue with Japan and just as our security alliance with the United States - which is the closest alliance we have in the world - has not damaged our relationship with China I don't believe this declaration involving Australia and Japan will damage our relationship with China.
JOURNALIST:
Concerning about security of this region, North Korea is very important and you were sending a delegation to North Korea the same day as you go to Japan, what I understand is that just (inaudible) agreement of six party talks. But also would you talk about abduction Japanese people to the North Korean people?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'm sympathetic to Japan's concerns and sensitivities regarding those abductions and I've made that very clear at meetings I've attended. I was very supportive of the concerns expressed by Mr Abe at the East Asia Summit and that will continue to be our position.
JOURNALIST:
Would you send some direct comment about...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think that's a matter for the delegation to consider in the context of our, their discussion, but I don't think there's any doubt within the region of our sympathy for the Japanese point of view on that issue.
JOURNALIST:
I'm from Juji Press. Could you tell me a time schedule to finalise the FTA?
PRIME MINISTER:
Depends on how the negotiations go. I'm not going to try and put a time on it, I think it's a very good thing that we are starting the negotiations and we both have to be patient, but I'm not going to try and put a time on it.
JOURNALIST:
I'm from Kyodo News. The Japanese Defence Minister has said that the war in Iraq was a mistake and I'm just wondering what you think of his comments and if you'll meet him in Japan?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't know the context in which he made those comments, my position in relation to the war in Iraq is very well known and if the issue comes up in Japan I will restate my position.
JOURNALIST:
In FTA, one of the issues is food security and energy security. With a growing market in China and India and other countries, Japan is worried about we don't get, continue to get the same supply from you and your country. Australia is in a position that you can select markets now, what's your...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't know that that's quite the situation. Australia will always respect the long history of our relationship with Japan and we recognise that our market with China has grown a lot in recent years, but I do not want it to be thought that we are anything other than very pleased and grateful for the trading relationship that we have developed with Japan over a long period of time and we don't intend to behave in a way that disadvantages Japan and like any other trading relationship there has to continue to be mutual advantage, but we do not play favourites and we are particularly sensitive to and appreciative of our association with Japan and Japan should not see us as being in any way wanting to play the one off against the other. We have a good relationship with China, it's very pragmatic, but we have a very good relationship with Japan as well and we will treat that relationship in a very respectful manner.
JOURNALIST:
I'm Emma Henderson from Juji Press. In a context of an Australia-Japan FTA, do you think it's possible to offer Japan some sort of solid guarantee with regard to future energy and food security?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't think it's a good idea to start speculating in advance as to how the negotiations going to go, I think we should let the negotiators sit down and bargain with each other and just see what happens.
JOURNALIST:
Joint declaration of security corporation, does the joint declaration contain anything about Japan Australia working together to contain North Korea's nuclear ambitions?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we haven't finally signed it yet and maybe that's the sort of question that you'll be asked when we have our news conference in Japan.
JOURNALIST:
About conserving energy, in (inaudible) or in South America there is some kind of movement to establish kind of the gas exporting countries officially like OPEC. Will you...
PRIME MINISTER:
We're not contemplating something like that.
JOURNALIST:
Last year when you visited Canada you and Mr Harper the Canadian PM had talked about establishing uranium exporting countries something. Is it possible?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, we talked about our common interests because we are both countries that have large reserves of uranium but we are not contemplating some kind of international energy cartel if that's what you're getting at, no.
JOURNALIST:
Hi, Danielle, Yomiuri Shimbun. This morning Peter Garrett made comments that you should use the opportunity of your visit to Japan to express Australia's outrage at Japan's continuing slaughter of whales. I just wanted to know if you plan to raise this issue at all with Mr Abe?
PRIME MINISTER:
I always raise that issue.
JOURNALIST:
Always?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes I have in the past. I think I have always, but I've certainly raised it a lot and I will of course in the course of our discussions of course I'll be raising it.
JOURNALIST:
And in what context? Will you actually ask them to cease...
PRIME MINISTER:
I will make representations consistent with the policy of the Australian Government.
JOURNALIST:
You have sent Australians, to send 70 soldiers to...
PRIME MINISTER:
Trainers, military trainers yes.
JOURNALIST:
When will they leave?
PRIME MINISTER:
They're going in about two or three months time.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)...very good economy and still you have enjoy very good economy, could you tell me for you, the biggest risk for you Australian economy, could you tell me what is the most biggest risk to continue growing because few days ago there was a big crash about...
PRIME MINISTER:
Change of government, sir. Leaving that aside, what is the biggest risk? Well any economy might be subject to some risk from abroad. Domestically the biggest threat to the Australian economy has been the drought and the drought has taken about a half to one per cent off our growth, close to three quarters of one per cent, perhaps more and the national account figures that came out a few days ago show that there have been very strong non farm GDP growth. Now if the drought breaks and the farm sector revives well that will add significantly to growth. I think the Australian economy is very strong and very balanced. We have a strong fiscal position, we have falling inflation according to the various measurements. We've seen a rise in productivity in the last quarter and apart from the drought which is our biggest problem, things are going very well.
JOURNALIST:
As growing economy depends on the more international global market...
PRIME MINISTER:
Of course and we're fortunate, we're exporting large amounts of energy to countries like Japan and we're very grateful for that and we intend to be very caring towards the relationship. One more question?
JOURNALIST:
Just on the upcoming federal election, do you believe your party can still win given the latest polling results?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it will be quite a struggle, but I don't think the latest polls are necessarily an indication of what will happen, it's still a long time before the election, but I don't regard it as being an easy election for us to win and I'll be fighting very hard to win it, notwithstanding.
JOURNALIST:
Drought you said, one of the biggest domestic...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's the biggest drag on our growth at the moment, the biggest.
JOURNALIST:
Yes, it's natural disaster. How you can overcome this?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well you can't, but it's good that the rest of the economy is strong so the impact of the drought is not as great.
JOURNALIST:
What you can do (inaudible).
PRIME MINISTER:
Well what we do is provide a lot of drought relief to farmers so that when it does rain they're able to pick up the pieces very quickly.
JOURNALIST:
And also the Murray-Darling Basin project?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that will help over a longer period of time to preserve water and prevent wastage. Thank you.
[ends]