JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister today, Prime Minister Badawi gave the impression that the East Asia, East Asian Summit is second or third order, is that in any way a slap in the face, a sidelining for us?
PRIME MINISTER:
Jim the most important, I am sorry Paul...
JOURNALIST:
Jim would ask that question.
PRIME MINISTER:
Let me start again. Paul, the premier body in this part of the world should remain APEC because it crucially brings in countries of South and Central America and of course the United States. I think I will wait and hear precisely what the Prime Minister has said about these matters. I see the East Asia Summit as an important development, I certainly don't see it replacing the premier role of APEC. I am very pleased that Australia is part of it but I don't think we should get exaggerated views about its relevance at this point. I think it's important as I've said before, it's the substance of bilateral relations between Australia and countries in this region that matter most to Australia and that will continue to be our prime focus.
JOURNALIST:
Are you concerned that the strained political ties between Japan and China will overshadow the East Asia Summit tomorrow?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't believe so, there are obviously some differences from Australia's point of view, we have had a very close relationship with Japan now for many decades. In recent times we have developed a strong relationship with China, we naturally will continue to nurture and strengthen both of those relationships.
JOURNALIST:
Will you be raising the issue in your bilaterals with Japan and China tomorrow?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look I haven't come here to tell other countries in the region how to speak to each other, that's not really my role.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard you're meeting Prime Minister Koizumi tomorrow...
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
JOURNALIST:
...will you confirm to him that the Australian troops will stay in Iraq as long as the Japanese?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well what I will do tomorrow is get some information from him about where things are and precisely what the Japanese Government has in mind. At this stage there has been a generalised decision taken to extend the mandate for another year. We would want to continue to provide security assistance to the Japanese for so long as they stay in Al Muthanna and that in turn is governed by how conditions evolve and I think it would be a very good opportunity for us to talk about in a little more detail about exactly what the Japanese Government has in mind. But we've worked together very closely in partnership on this issue over the past few months, and I'd like that to go on for so long as it is necessary, remembering always that both countries are there at the invitation of the people of Iraq, and the goal clearly is to secure a transition of power and authority and security capacity to the people of Iraq.
JOURNALIST:
Back on the summit itself, it's a very short summit, you've got a dinner tonight and then three or four hours of talks tomorrow, what do you expect you'll talk about, and what do you think will come out of it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think the very fact that it is taking place is very important, as with so many of these things, the symbolism of the first meeting is important. We'll clearly talk about issues that affect the region, we'll talk about the spread of pandemics, we'll talk about terrorism, we'll talk about economic issues. The fact that it's taking place is a very important thing and something to be widely welcomed.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard is it realistic to see the East Asia Summit as a potential forerunner for a free trade bloc of the 16 countries involved or do you think that is pie in the sky?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it is too early to be talking about it, you never know what unfolds, but it is far, far too early to be talking about that. As far as trade is concerned, I will be raising the issue of the Doha trade round, I think that is the main game as far as multilateral trade is concerned, I would hope that the Doha round, that the meeting that is taking place in Hong Kong almost contemporaneously with this meeting, I would hope that that makes progress because if it doesn't it would be a huge setback to the cause of more open trade, particularly for the developing countries.
JOURNALIST:
The NSW Parliament has been recalled to pass laws to combat the behaviour of last weekend.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
JOURNALIST:
From your experience, is this the sort of behaviour that can be legislated against?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Geof, I had a discussion with the NSW Premier about this matter just after I arrived in Kuala Lumpur and he gave me an outline of the legislation that is being proposed, I understand that it has the broad support of the opposition, the detail of it is naturally a matter for the NSW Parliament. Primarily this issue at the moment is one of law and order, of settling people down, of trying to find and prosecute people who have broken the law. It is tremendously important when a situation like this occurs that you don't lose sight of the fundamental fact that some people have broken the law, and the law has to be enforced with equal rigour against everybody irrespective of what their grievance may be or what their background may be. As for some of the longer term issues involved, I think the time to talk about that and pronounce on that subject is after everything is settled down. I think people rushing to judgement about this or that and using certain descriptions is just a little too early in the peace. I think the incidents were appalling, there is no doubt about that, violence is never acceptable, never, and that is part of the way we live in Australia and people who indulge in violence, breaking the law, they should be punished.
JOURNALIST:
Has the Australian Government made any approaches to the British Government not to grant citizenship to David Hicks?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the British Government took a stance in relation to that issue and it is now before the courts and I think we should wait and see what the courts say.
[ends]