PM: Well, I'm pleased to be here in Japan. This is the first leg of a visit to North Asia. On this visit I will be in Japan, in South Korea and then in China.
These are some of our most important bilateral relationships. We look at these three countries - China, Japan, and South Korea - and they are our three top export destinations. Indeed, in total, more than 50 per cent of Australian exports go to these three countries, so on the visits to these three nations in North Asia I will of course be talking about our economic relationships; about our economic relationships for trade and for freer trade.
With these three countries, too, we participate in the G20. The G20 has done a lot of good work fostering economic growth following the global financial crisis, and I will, in each country, be speaking about the outlook for the G20 meeting later this year.
I will also, in each of these visits, be talking about our regional agenda for cooperation, particularly cooperation through the East Asia Summit and through APEC. We want to see the East Asia Summit become the forum for dealing with political, strategic and security issues in our region, and for APEC to continue to play its proper role of trade liberalisation and economic integration.
So, these issues will be on my mind in each of these visits in each of these countries, and then, of course, too, I intend to raise security issues, particularly the security challenge for our region of the nuclear program of North Korea.
Here in Japan, tomorrow I am looking forward to calling on the Emperor and Empress. That is a very great honour, and I'm looking forward to my meeting with Prime Minister Kan, our bilateral discussions, and then our working dinner.
I intend, here in Japan, to focus on our economic relationship, which is about trade in resources and energy, but about so much more, particularly international education and tourism.
I will be talking to Prime Minister Kan about prospects for the free trade agreement between our two nations. I will be talking to him about my views and perspectives and his views and perspectives for the forthcoming G20 meeting, East Asia Summit and APEC.
And I will, too, be exploring with Prime Minister Kan the prospect of better Defence cooperation, including in the area of responding to natural disasters, but here in Japan, overwhelmingly, I want, through my presence here, to be expressing the condolences of the Australian people for the horror that the Japanese people have lived through. I think all of us were very, very shocked to see the size and scale of the natural disaster that the people of Japan confronted. To see counts like almost 30,000 people dead and missing, this is a horror almost beyond our imagining, and I think each of us, as we've watched the people of Japan, have been incredibly admiring of their resilience and their stoicism in the face of this huge natural disaster.
So, through my personal presence here I want to be carrying with me and conveying the condolences of the Australian people, but also our best wishes as Japan recovers.
I'm absolutely confident that Japan will rebuild stronger than before, and Australia, as a good friend, will be working with Japan as it goes through that process.
I'm very happy to take questions, yes?
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what will be your message to the Japanese Prime Minister on the issue of whaling?
PM: The Australian position on whaling, of course, is well known. We are opposed to scientific whaling, and that's why we have taken action in the International Court of Justice.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you going to look to reassure the Japanese leadership about Australia as a reliable source of energy supplies, given the uncertainty that they're feeling at the moment in terms of their power supply, and particularly in the context of the demand out of China for our resources?
PM: Well, one of the key planks of our very strong economic relationship is that Australia has been a long-standing and reliable supplier of commodities and energy to Japan. During this time, of course, Japan will be looking for further supplies and further sources of energy as it overcomes the impact of the natural disaster.
So, I anticipate that our economic relationship, our trade and energy security, will be part of what I talk to Prime Minister Kan about.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what tangible benefits do you hope to leave Japan with once you move on to Korea?
PM: Well, firstly, as a good friend of Japan, I think it is important for me to be here carrying the best wishes of the Australian people. I'm very honoured to be the first foreign leader to be invited to visit Japan since the earthquake and the tsunami. We're good friends, and I'm here as part of conveying that spirit of friendship as Japan recovers from these truly horrendous circumstances.
Then, on our bilateral relationship, I will be hoping, through discussions with Prime Minister Kan, to be pressing ahead on discussions with our free trade agreement. We absolutely understand that the Government of Japan and Prime Minister Kan have had the recovery from the natural disaster first and foremost on their mind, but at the appropriate point we do want to continue to pursue the free trade agreement. We do want to continue with our partnership and collaboration in forums like the G20, the East Asia Summit and APEC, and of course I was last here in Japan, my first visit to Japan, for APEC, which was hosted by Prime Minister Kan, and I do want to be exploring the possibility for future Defence cooperation.
JOURNALIST: Do you think, Prime Minister, the chances and prospect for an FTA with Japan have been compromised by the Japanese preoccupation, predictably, with disaster recovery?
PM: I just think there is an absolutely understandable real-world constraint here, which is when a nation like Japan has faced this kind of challenge, of course everyone in government, all arms and instrumentalities of government, have had to be absolutely focussed on the emergency relief and on responding to the disaster, so I understand that that would have been the complete preoccupation of everyone here in Japan, so it's just a practical issue about when it is possible for Japan to start again processing things like free trade discussions, but I do understand that recovery from the natural disaster would be first and foremost.
JOURNALIST: Did you see it as important that you visited Japan, our closest ally in North Asia, before Beijing or any other major capital?
PM: Well, we are good friends and I am very pleased to be here. I have been here before as Prime Minister for APEC towards the end of last year, but I did want to come to Japan. We are good friends, good partners, and as Prime Minister I believed it was important to further that friendship and those discussions. We're cooperate across a broad series of areas.
Of course, this visit has taken on a new and particular significance, coming as it now does after Japan has had to face this tremendous natural disaster.
Thank you very much.
[ENDS]