PRIME MINISTER:
Hello, good evening.
JOURNALIST:
Good trip?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes had a very good trip, I hope you all did.
JOURNALIST:
Well Mr Howard this visit is being I guess afforded all the trappings of state a visit. What does that say about the closeness of the relationship between the two countries and between yourself and the President?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the relationship is very close and I do have a close relationship with President Bush. I like him and we think along similar lines on a lot of issues-not on every issue-there are obviously some differences of emphasis, but the most important thing is the relationship and the relationship goes beyond the personal relationship between two heads of Government. And I think our relationship with the United States will become more rather than less important as the years go by. Our economies will get closer together and our world view-although it will vary on some occasions, on some issues-will still be very similar. And with the rise of China and India in the Asia Pacific Region, clearly the challenge of handling Iran in an intelligent sensible way, the growing importance of the potential of nuclear energy, all of these are the sorts of things that we'll talking about and they're the sorts of things that an American President and an Australian Prime Minister should talk about on a regular basis.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister will nuclear non-proliferation figure highly in the talks given that Australia and then Canada are major suppliers of world uranium?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm sure it will come up, I'm sure it will because it's an important issue. I think there will be a big debate in Australia in the months ahead regarding nuclear energy. I think it's a debate we have to have. It's gone beyond the paradigm of the 1980s and there are some very interesting shifts of opinion on the issue within our own country. And because of the fact that we have the largest reserves of uranium of any country in the world, we're obviously somebody whose view will be sought and whose view is relevant.
JOURNALIST:
Is Australia satisfied with the non-proliferation treaty?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes we're not seeking any particular changes to it, no.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard President Bush is having a pretty tough time domestically, he's about 30 percent in the latest poll. Any wise council for him yourself?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look, I'm a guest of his and let's not get into that. I mean anybody who's been in politics for a long time goes through periods of challenge and also great success. And he's been a very successful person. To be elected twice as President of the United States, is an astonishing achievement.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister what assurances are we sending to East Timor over the deployment of sending out of these war ships, these boats, these ships?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we, if asked, would be ready to help because East Timor is a friend, but of course we would only act if we were asked. The ships are being deployed so that if a request comes, we can respond to it.
JOURNALIST:
Obviously that would involve troops....
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't think at this stage we should do other than say that if requested we would want to assist. I don't want to get into the detail of it because no request has come and I hope that the situation in East Timor stabilises and that the involvement of people from outside would not be necessary.
JOURNALIST:
Is the evacuation, or the possible evacuation of Australian nationals, also in the back of your mind with the deployment....
PRIME MINISTER:
Well in a situation like this you think of every contingency and we discussed the matter before I left-the relevant Ministers and military before I left-so something that I'll keep a very close eye on while I'm away, given the instantaneous character of communications of which I spoke the other day in Canberra.
JOURNALIST:
Are you worried that the military might be overstretched if they are called upon?
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, China and uranium, just how you would respond to any concerns that maybe raised on this trip about our export deal to the Chinese?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't expect any concerns would be raised. We've made it very clear all along, that provided China met the obligations she has under the non-proliferation treaty-obligations of our safeguard principles, then we would be willing to export uranium. We've made that clear all along, the Americans understand our position on that-I mean they might ask about it-but it's not something that I imagine would cause any concern.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister just one more on East Timor. Jos‚ Ramos-Horta has said that he knew nothing about it. I just want to go back to my question before, what assurances are we sending East Timor? What communication have we made with East Timor about why these ships have been deployed?
PRIME MINISTER:
We have very regular communications.
Thank you.
[ends]