PRIME MINISTER:
Well ladies and gentlemen, we've just signed the declaration and can I say speaking from Australia's position that it was a very successful meeting, we welcome the commencement of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between ASEAN and Australia and New Zealand. The warmth of the relationship was very evident in the exchanges that took place at the two hour meeting, it was quite evident from many of the personal anecdotes of the leaders that so far from today's declaration being a beginning of an association between Australia and New Zealand and ASEAN it was an opportunity to express the numerous facets of the relationship that have existed not only over the last 30 years but indeed beyond. I'm very pleased at the terms of the declaration, it sets out a clear path to commence a two year process of endeavouring to negotiate an agreement between Australia, New Zealand and the ASEAN countries. Of course as you all know there are already in existence a number of Free Trade Agreements between Australia and Thailand, Australia and Singapore, the longest standing out of all of course is the CER arrangement between Australia and New Zealand which goes back for more than 20 years. We are negotiating with Malaysia, so the path is already very clearly set.
Can I say, as this will be will my last news conference here in Vientiane, how much I've appreciated and the Australian party has appreciated the hospitality of the Lao Government and the Lao people and that it has been an invaluable opportunity for me to not only talk to the leaders of the ASEAN countries but also to have a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of India, my first with the new Prime Minister of India, a bilateral meeting with the Premier of China, following my bilateral discussions with the President of China less than two weeks ago in Chile, and also of course a bilateral discussion with the Prime Minister of Japan and following my lengthy discussions with a number of leaders, including the President of Korea, further discussions with him and others during the margins of the meeting and during the various social occasions. So it has been an unrivalled opportunity to interact with those leaders which represent a significant part of the international relationships that this country has.
Are there any questions?
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, did the ASEAN leaders issue an invitation for Australia to attend future ASEAN summits on a regular basis?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Were you, are you disappointed?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no I'm not.
JOURNALIST:
Are you not (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I was anticipating a Free Trade negotiation. What happens about future meetings, well we'll just see what evolves.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, which country or countries raised the TAC?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh it was mentioned I think in a very passing fashion by two countries, and that's all. Reference was made to it, but there's a reference to it in the declaration, but there's no conditionality if that's what you're getting at. The Free Trade Agreement and the TAC are quite unrelated.
JOURNALIST:
And in respect of trade given the size of Australia's economy compared to the ASEAN region, who actually stands to benefit more do you think?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it depends on how the economies grow over the years ahead. It is true that the great bulk of our trade in Asia is not with the ASEAN countries, that's not to play down the significance of our relationships but as you must know the great trading associations we have [interruption] now where was I, trading relationships, that's right. The great bulk of our trade is with the three big economies of North Asia, with Japan, with Korea and with China. All of whom are dialogue partners of ASEAN. But that is not to play down the significance of our trading associations with ASEAN countries, Thailand, we've just signed a Free Trade Agreement, Singapore, we're working on one with Malaysia and we want to develop those relationships. As to who will gain, well in these things it's meant to be both sides who will gain. And the terms of the Agreement will reflect that reality, you agree to provide access when it is your interests in return for getting access to other countries or another country.
JOURNALIST:
Given that Australia has made agreements with some ASEAN countries, negotiating others, there's also the APEC goals (inaudible). Is there actually a lot of value in a Free Trade Agreement with (inaudible), if there is...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think there is value in it but I have said before you should not benchmark our relationship with these countries according to this agreement or indeed any other agreement or any other treaty. It is just another step along the path, but I thought what was good about today was the evident warmth of the exchanges that took place and the expressions of welcome that were extended to Australia and New Zealand.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, did you respond to (inaudible) on the (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no, I felt no need to.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, Prime Minister Clark said New Zealand (inaudible) are we the only country...
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, you said about the summit, that there wasn't an invitation (inaudible) things may evolve...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well what I'm saying is that, you asked me a question, well you didn't ask me a question, you distinguished colleague, Mr Lewis I'm referring to, he asked me the question, but the point I'm making is that I don't know that anything is set in cement about next year, that's the point I'm making.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, did you discuss the Burma situation?
PRIME MINISTER:
The issue of Burma did not come up.
JOURNALIST:
In terms of, it's my understanding that you now go, Australia and ASEAN now go through a process of (inaudible) is the timetable (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's negotiations over a two year period. And then if there is an Agreement reached it will be phased in over 10 years.
JOURNALIST:
Are we expected to meet that timetable?
PRIME MINISTER:
I would expect it to, yes, I would. I'd be disappointed if it didn't.
JOURNALIST:
How do you, Prime Minister, how do you rate the chances of Australia and New Zealand concluding an FTA (inaudible)...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I never use language like that, I don't use it about trade negotiations, I don't use it about anything in politics.
JOURNALIST:
How do you rate the chances...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think they're good but I don't take it for granted.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, would you be interested in joining...
PRIME MINISTER:
Who are you?
JOURNALIST:
I'm with International Trade Report, would you be interested in joining a larger free trade area with ASEAN (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
I am interested in anything which is of trade advantage to my country and is fair and of advantage to countries with whom we make arrangements. I have a very pragmatic attitude towards trade, where there's advantage for Australia I'm for it, obviously you find that in a bilateral arrangement, a regional arrangement, a world trade arrangement, whatever. That's the nature of the world in which we live.
JOURNALIST:
Why not do it in the WTO, why have a spaghetti of regional bilateral (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well if the WTO process had not to date been moving at such a glacial pace then it may be that these arrangements would not be so necessary. I mean the ideal world is one that has no trade barriers on a fully multilateral basis. And Australia has long been a proponent, as the leader of the Cairns group, for such an outcome. And if there had been a little more progress in relation to some of the obstacles in that area in the past then perhaps some other arrangements may not have been necessary.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, (inaudible) in the future...
PRIME MINISTER:
No, it's a bit tighter than that Mark, I think it's an agreement to commence a negotiation. I think that is a bit, it's not an agreement to talk, it's a bit stronger than that.
JOURNALIST:
Following on from that though, in your words what would you say to Australians about why they should possibly be (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'm a realist, I'm not saying that it's the most, it's not the most dramatic thing that Australia has done on the trade front, I'm not saying that at all. It's just another step in the right direction and I'll say again for perhaps the umpteenth time that it is the substance of our individual relationships with countries that matters most in the trade area, it does matter a great deal. But you take every opportunity you can and the political value of a gathering like this is significant because it brings together the leaders of countries in our region and that's important and we can talk about issues other than trade, as many of us did during the Summit meeting just concluded, we talked a lot about the importance of terrorism, there was quite a lot of very favourable comment made about the initiative of Australia and Indonesia to have an interface dialogue which is commencing in Indonesia in a few days. And that was commented upon very favourably by a number of leaders as an extremely valuable initiative in expanding the understanding of different religions within the area.
JOURNALIST:
Were the (inaudible) actual subject to debate in the two hours...
PRIME MINISTER:
I beg your pardon?
JOURNALIST:
Were there any issues that became subject of...
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I think there was a fair amount of agreement Tim.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, do you see any areas as being particularly difficult in these negotiations?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I don't.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, I take it that you discussed in the bilateral meetings, and I don't about the summit itself, your travel plans for Asia next year and perhaps an invitation for Asian leaders to come to Australia. Can you elaborate on ...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I didn't sort of run through my agenda with each leader, or vice versa. But if you're asking me where I might be going next year, well I haven't really come prepared to go through all of that. But suffice to say that I would expect to visit quite a number of countries in the region over the course of the next year.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Prime Minister, the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr Badawi, (inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
That's good.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) different from what yourself were told.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I was asked whether an invitation was extended at the meeting.
JOURNALIST:
Well one has been extended.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I was asked whether an invitation was extended at the Summit meeting. There you go.
JOURNALIST:
The Prime Minister of Malaysia has just said...
PRIME MINISTER:
He's just that? Well I told you it hadn't been set in cement, you should have taken my advice.
JOURNALIST:
What is your reaction to that news?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Dr Badawi is a very gracious man and if an invitation is extended Australia will be very pleased to accept.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) I understand that (inaudible) Australia, I wonder if you (inaudible) Lao (inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
Some Lao refugees?
JOURNALIST:
That's right. I understand that some Lao refugees have recently arrived in Australia and I wonder if you had spoken to any of the Lao (inaudible) concerns over human rights here?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I have not had any such discussions, no.
JOURNALIST:
Are you aware of some (inaudible) human rights (inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
I must confess I'm not immediately aware of them, no.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, if the ASEAN FTA (inaudible) anticipate signing it?
PRIME MINISTER:
If it's successful would I anticipate signing it? Oh yes, well look you know my response to those matters. I will sign anything that should be signed by the Prime Minister of the day, when he's required to do it.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, what did you talk about in the bilateral meetings with China and India?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we talked, with the Indian Prime Minister I talked about the economic growth of the country, I talked about, we talked about the extraordinary value of globalisation and how the process of globalisation was irreversible and the benefits of the globalisation. We also talked about the links between our two countries, and not surprisingly we focused on certain sporting links between our two countries and I discussed the, some of the challenges of terrorism and the challenges of our region and there were one or two bilateral issues, not causing any great difficulty, but there were issues relating, I think we talked about the number of Indian students, I think Australia is the number three country for destination purposes of Indian students after Britain and the United States. I think they're essentially the issues that we discussed and I extended an invitation to him to visit Australia and it's some four or five years since I've been to India, I might, I hope to perhaps going there in the next several years.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, (inaudible) Daily Telegraph paper in London. Why don't you want to sign the TAC?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well our position has been explained before. It's an agreement that has its origins, has particular origins at a time when Australia was not part of ASEAN and we just don't, for those reasons, think it's, at this stage, appropriate to sign it.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) signatories promising not to take any action...
PRIME MINISTER:
It's got nothing to do with that, it's got nothing to do with that. You're behind the game.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
I beg your pardon.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
It's got nothing whatever to do with that.
JOURNALIST:
Has the debate about the (inaudible) made you think about it more positively, if I could use that word?
PRIME MINISTER:
Can I tell you, I haven't thought about it a great deal, I haven't in the past, I'm not now and the discussion has not prompted me to think a great deal more about it in the future. I'm sorry, I know it's of enormous all consuming interest to a few people in this room but it's just not really sort of got off the ground.
Thank you.
[ends]