NQ DATE
D13 ~ 17
PRIME MINISTER'S CONFERENCE BELGRhADE
JAUARY 1975;
The following is the text of the Prime Minister's press
conference held in Belgrade on 10 January 1975.
Vitorovic. Radio Belarade
Q. Would you like to comment on the talks with President
Tito this morning-We didn't have a chance to read the toast
yet,
A, You are referring to the fact that a recording was
made of the President's speech in proposing a toast at the
lunch he gave us and also I suppose there was a recording taken
of my response. But we did spend an hour and a half before the
lunch discussing a wide range of matters.. It was naturally a
matter of the greatest interest to the Australians to have such
a full and free discussion with so eminent a leader of his
country and, I think I can say, inspiration to the world in war
and peace as your President The President showed a great
interest in Australia and also a very great appreciation of
the attitudes that my Government has demonstrated over the two
years that we have been in office,. He is one of the world's
great men and has been for a generation, We thought it a great
occasion. ( Name Indistinguishable)
Q-Mr Prime Minister I am from Nova Macedonia near
Macedonia, I have two questions,~ The first question refers
We would like to have your ideas and views.. How do you look
upon the fact that you have 250 thousand Yugoslavs in Australia?
What do you think of their contribution and their work towards
the prosperity and the development of your country, especially
w ith respect to their contribution to the promotion of friendship
between Australia and Yugoslavi-* a. The second question we would
appreciate having your views with respect to the efforts that
are being made at present to have the Indian Ocean become a Zone
of Peace and security. 12...
A, Australia has been interested in Yugoslavia for two
full generations. We were allies throughout the First World
War. At one period during the Second World War, Yugoslavia
was the only country in the whole of the continent of Europe
which was fighting for the same cause as Australia. Accordingly
the quarter of a million Yugoslavs who have come to Australia
have come to a country which was disposed to regard them highly
indeed. They have proved very sturdy citizens in Australia.
I can testify to that myself because there are a very great
number of Yugoslavs who live in my constituency out of Sydney.
Any Yugoslavs who come to Australia can be assured that they
will find friendship and prosperity in Australia.
You asked also about the Indian Ocean. Like every
country round the Indian Ocean Australia deplores any prospect
of a confrontation in the ocean between the United States and
the Soviet Union. We do not want the Indian Ocean, which has
been the freest of all the world's oceans from this rivalry
between the two superpowers, to become infected by it. I have
put this point through diplomatic channels and also directly
to Washington. I have put it through diplomatic channels to
Moscow and will do so directly in Moscow next week. Our concept
is one which has the support of the President and the Government
of Yugoslavia.
Malcolm Browne, New York Times
Q. Mr Prime Minister in your toast to Prime Minister
Bijedic the other day you mentioned that your country had a
growing similarity in position to that of the non-aligned
countries of the world and certainly your administration has
demonstrated that. Do you feel that at some point that a
non-aligned Australia could have n7' oblems of conflict with the
ANZUS Treaty arrangement?
A. Also in my speech last night I pointed out that we were
an ally of the United States, There has never been any question
oi' that, We are not a non-aligned country. Nevertheless we have
supported, whereas the preceding Government of Aus-tralia did niot
support, many of those concepts for which the non-aligned countries
have fought for very many years. For instance the nonaligned
countries have fought against colonialism: they have
fought against racism: they have fought for development. The
Australian Government now takes the same attitude on all those
three matters. It would be astonishing if an Australian
Government were to act hereafter otherwise since Australia is
surrounded by countries to which the question of development,
racism and colonialism are crucial. I would not believe that
there is any real interest of the United States adversely
affected by any of those policies. If ANZUS doesn't stand. for
the three attitudes I have expressed then ANZUS is not ass
wholesome as we believe it is. / 3.
Stn Zi] vkovic. Radio Belgrade
Q. ( Inaudible)
A. We can best contribute to this by understanding each
other's attiti,-es in preparing for those wider gatherings where
these subj4aots arise. There have been many occasions in the last
two years and one a month for the last three United Nations
General Assemblies where, for instance, Yugoslavia and Australia
have clearly shown that they have each other's attitudes in mind..
There was a completely new matter in the economic deal where
we cooperated quite closely, namely, the International Bauxite
Association. I think that is the answer, It is not that we would
do so many things, just the two of us, but that we should be aware
of each other's attitudes at wider gatherings where we are each
present. Perhaps I could give another instance. There has been
a serious economic affect to one of our industries and also the
same industry in Yugoslavia through the precipitate, incons-iderate
action of some of our trading partners, namely, our cattle
indi~ stry. Now here is something -that we can't solve just the two
of u~ s but we have discussed dealing with it in a wider context
and that is something which was mentioned today.
Z ivkovic Q. My second question is what are other spheres in which
Yug.) slav/ Australian relations can be most successful, in the
bileateral field. I am not sure I can answer tY*.' t question satisfactoriLy.
T t'Lnk you have good instances in your first question and I don't
know offhand what other fields I would add to those that you mentioned0
ZirSFovi c
Q. My third question0 Being twice in this count; ry you
know this country better than most. May we therefore ask you for
you-~ impressions of this country.
A. Well I can't really claim to have any wide knowledge of
Yugoslavia0 I know something of Belgrade and of the Dalmatian
Coast so all I can say is that I am impressed by the growth and
modernity of the Capital and the beauty of the coast.
Mr Jost, Melbourne Age
Q. Since you last went to the United States has anything
occurred to make you believe that ANZUS is not as wholesome as you
thought it was'?
A. No. / 40.0
Dusko Doder, Washington Post
Q. Mr Prime Minister as you know, the Ustashi is a very
active organisation in Australia.
A. Not as active as it was believe me.
Q. I want to ask if the question of Ustashi has come up
in your talks with Mr Tito and Mr Bijedic.
A. Well let me say as you will understand, the Washington
Post is my favourite newspaper.
In the discussions that we had this morning with
Mr Bijedic and his colleagues and with the President I don't
think the word was mentioned. There was reference from the
Yugoslav side of appreciation for the way that my Government had
been vigilant in this matter. It is clear that the Yugoslav
Government appreciates the fact that there have been no outrages
from this quarter in Australia since the Government of Australia
changed.
Mr McKendrv. Australian Broadcasting Commission
Q. My question follows that of my colleague from the
Washington Post.
A. You don't expect me to name my favourite station.
r Hi hfield, A. B. C.
Q. Prime Minister, during youlr discussions with Mr Bijedic
did you raise the question Sir of & Lleged activities of the
Yugoslav Secret Police and, secondly Sir, could I ask you what
progress has been made on the question of dual nationality.
A. Neither of these matters arose in my discussions with
Mr Bijedic last night or this morning, nor in the discuE: sions
with the President. Now I want to make it plain that in giving
that answer I am not in any way confirming any impression you may
have that Yugoslav Secret Police do operate in Australia. I am
not making any reference to that matter at all,
Now on the second matter you raised. There has been
for some time discussions through the normal diplomatic channels
of one of the consequences of dual nationality. It was not
discussed in my discussions with Mr Bijedic or with the President.
I think the officials accompanying me might have discussed this
aspect to which I refer of the question of dual nationality, the
matter for which we are concerned is the right of persons in
YugosLavia who hold Australian passports to have access to the
AustrrLlian Consular services. Now progress has been made on this
question. I don't think that one ought to express it in the
wider question of' dual nationality becuase this is obviously
a very complex legal matter which effects any countries which
have different legal systems. Australia has the English Common
Law where in effect your citizenship depends on your choice of
country. Yugoslavia and most European countries have the IUS
SANGUINIS that is your citizenship depends on your ancestry. So
there 2Inevitable conflict between the IUS LOCH and the
IUS-SAI4GUINIS. Now we can't really solve this for the whole
world. What we are concerned with is that Australians who have
passports should be able to have access to Australian Consuls.
Roy Gutman, Reuters
Q. I am wondering in your speech and also in articles in
tVhe International Review in Yugoslavia you said you would like
Australia to be a representative at the next.-non-aligned conference.
I am wondering has Yugoslavia agreed to back the Australian desf-re
to be an observer or have they told you that there is some criteria
that you must first meet and if so do you think you will be able
to meet them. The second question on the Consular International
area is do you expect that there might be a Consular agreement ' n
the near future and could you give an outline of what it might be
like.
A. Australia would welcome an invitation to attend the next
non-aligned conference as an observer or as a guest. We discus. Sed
this matter both with Mr Bijedic and his Ministers and with the
President. I think I can say they were sympathetic in the matter0
I was not wanting to give the impression that there
would be anything so formal as a Consular agreement between
Australia and Yugoslavia to deal with the question of AustraliJ. an
Consuls having access to bearers of t4ustralian passport11s in
oo~ antries where those passport bear,. rs were still regarded as
citizens by birth. I expect that this matter can be settled by
an arrangement following an exchange of notes. It is a matter
which may in due course come within a wider international convention
it concerns a great number of Common Law countries, counit--ies
whi-' ch have derived their basic laws from England such as not only
Australia but also Canada, the United States and New Zealand silica
each of those countries have accepted hundreds and thousands of
migrants from countries which have the IUS SANGUINIS the old
Napoleonic Roman system of law.
Peter Barron, Sydney Daily Mirror
Q. When you go to Moscow from Yugoslavia will you raise with
the RussLafi leaders your attitude to political prisoners in Russ3ia
and if soi what will you say.
A0 Well I have already answered that in the affirmative on
several previous occasions.
R. Schneider, Australian
Q. Are you able to say with confidence that training of anti-
Yugoslav terrorist on Australian soil has ceased.
A. I can't be absolutely confident that I believe that the
practice is very much less likely to be carried on in Australia
now than was previously the case. The fact is that since t~ he*
change of government in Australia there have been no further acts
of overt terrorism from Ustashi quarters in Australia befJore
that there had been every year around the 10th April for about
years. Perhaps I could add that there may be still in
Australia some clubs where the portraits of Ante Pavelic anad
the Croation Republic flag with the letter are still
displayed. This of course causes as much resentment among
Australians, both those who were born in Australia and those
who have come to Australia from other countries including
Yugoslavia, as would the display of Hitler's portrait or the
Swastika flag. This is not illegal. in Australia but it is
greatly offensive.
John Jost NeJbourne Age
Q. You left me in doubt with respect to your answer
on the non-aligned conference as to any conditions being
placed.
A. There has been no discussion among the members of
the non-aligned movement on this question. Accordingly one
can't say that there would be any conditions lai~ d down. All
I. can say is that in discussions in Sri Lanka and Yugoslavia
which are leading members of the movement and have been since
its foundation that no such conditions were suggested.
Roy Gutman, Reuters
Q. There were reports that while you were in Paris and
Rome you received assurances from the governments of the
countries that they would soon sign and ratify the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Pact and that this was one of the conditions
which Australia would sell uranium oxide. Could you say
whether this is true or not.
A. If there have been such reports they are not based
on anything that I have said. So I have no comment to make
on such reports if there have been such.
Waters, U. P. I.
Q. The balance of trade is very heavily weighted between
Yugoslavia and Australia in favour of Yugoslavia. Was there any
agreement reached today to try to adjust that balance arid in
relation to that was there any decision to try and coordLinate
the Yugoslav and Australian positions with regard to meat
exports to the EEC.
Both matters were probably discussed by the officials
of both sides in the Working Party on Economics which met while
I was with the President. There was some discussion as I
indicated earlier during the discussions with Mr Bijedic and
his colleagues this morning concerning the sudden closure of
EEC meat markets to our two countries. I am not sure that
7.
whether you suggested that this matter should be discussed in
the EEC context but if you were suggesting that, that wouldn't
be adequate because to take Australia's position, it has been
similarly affected by a similarly precipitate and inconsiderate
closure of the Japanese market to Australian meat and one of
the repeated inconsiderate threats by the United States to
Australia., It is rather in the GATT context, in the discussions
with Mr lbijedic, it was suggested that this be handled. It is
unfortunate that such instances do occur at the expense of
countries which have developed a capacity to export products
which other countries themselves also produce but not in
sufficient quantity, and it is deplorable that such affluent
countries as the European Economic Community, Japan and the
United States should be such bad internationalists when local
political pressures from primary producers become uncomfortable
for them. They all adopt a very moralistic and patronizing
tone when their own manufacturing exports are affected. One
carn imagine the howls of outrage from Western Europe, Japan
or the United States if Yugoslavia or Australia would dare to
cut off manufactured exports in the way that each of them has
cut off or is threatening to cut off meat exports from
Australia. 0 There was in the discussions ' between Miniso-. eis some
brief reference to the imbalance of trade between Australia and.
Yugoslavia. This is another matter which was probably discussed
in the Economic Working Party. Australia does give Yugoslaviia
special status as a developing country Australia is very likely
to agree to the Yugoslav suggestion for a double taxation
agreement. I did myself make a passing reference in conversatiorn
with the President that most of Australia's exports to Yugoslavia
are wool and hides. These are the basis of highly estkeemed and.
I trust thriving Yugoslavian industries and crafts. : believe
that much of Yugoslavia's export i. K. ome comes from products
based upon imports of Australian wool and leather into
Yugoslavia. 0 Well, we meet in Moscow.