PRII4E MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE,-
BONN, 17 JANUA RY, 1975
Ladies and Gentlemen; On behalf of the Chairman of the
Bundespressekonferenz and on behalf of the Federal Press Office,
it ismy personal honour and my privilege to present to you,
the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Whitlam.
Mr. Whitlam:
Q. Did you have an appointment with Mr. brezhnev in Moscow?
If you did, could you say what * was discussed? If not,
were you given any explanation why not?
A. No appointment with Mr. Brezhnev had been arranged.
Each day there was a message given to me from Mr. Brezhnev.
I was told on the second day that he had a cold and was
out of towvn.
Q. Following your talkcs with the Soviet leaders, what prospects
do you feel there are for a zone of peace in the Indian Ocean?
A. The Soviet leaders state that they would like a zone of peace
in the Indian Ocean. They also add that they would like a
zone of peace in every one of the world's oceans. You will
know that Australia and, I believe, every other country
around the IndianOcean has voted at the United Nations General
Assembly in favour of such proposals which have come,
originally, from Sri Lanka and Malaysia, and more recently
from Pakistan and Iran. There might have been other sources
as well.
Q. Inaudible question but referred to the Prime Minjtster' s
attitude to the United States' use of Diego Garcia as a base
in the Indian Ocean?.....
A. Australia, like every other country bordering the Indian Ocean
or situated in the Indian Ocean, has objected to the developmenft
of Diego Garcia. Australia and, I believe, every other
country in the Indian Ocean and around it, has deplored the
possibility of an increase in forces by the two Super Powers
the United States and the Soviet Union. They have all sought
to eliminate any possibility of confrontation between them.
Some of you mightn't be aware that I was asked a question
previously on this by an Australian correspondent who would
have hadf the text. But, of course, the correspondent who
just asked this question and others too might not have the
text of the Communique which 11r. Kosygin and I issued yesterday
on this subject. It states: " Both sides express their
readiness to participate together with all interested States
on an equal basis in seeking a favourable solution to the
problem of making the Indian Ocean an area of peace in
accordance with the principles of international law." 1
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Q. Do you believe the assurances given to you by Mr. Kosygin
that Russia does not have any bases in the Indian. Ocean?
A. Mr. Kosygin did state that and I have no comment to make
on it.
Q. This morning you had a talk with the Federal Chancellor.
Did you discuss economic problems and particularly the
question of Australia's supply of uranium to the Federal
Republic of Germany?
A. The Bundeskanzler and I discussed many economic matters.
Obviously, Germany's economic experience is of great
significance to any western country because the Federal
Republic's success has been by far the greatest, economically,
of all western countries. Wie did discuss the supply of
uranium to European countries. Also, of course, we
discussed the supply of beef to European countries. We
discussed the general question of what commodities,
primary and mineral, can be supplied by Australia to
European * countries and the general terms on which such
supplies could take place. This was. the * seventh visit
that my colleagues and I have made to member countries
of the European Economic Community. In each case we have
found some embarrassment over the fact that the Community,
a pursuant to the has cut off imports of meat
from Australia. Nobody has justified that exclusion of
Australian meat from the European Market. It is true,
we haven't visited Denmark and Luxembourg. We don't know
thei~ r views. It is possible that Luxembourg and Denmark
control the C. A. P. In every country, however, we did find
a very great interest in the supply of uranium and coal
because the Community requires energy sources. Australia
has considerable energy sources. Australians, quite
legitimately I believe, want to develop those ' energy sources
as far as possible in their own country. So, quite clearly,
there were many matters that we were able to discussv
the Bundeskanzler and I. We didn't get around to another
subject which I suppose would be of interest here. I'm
told there is not enough sugar available for consumption
in the Community. Australia would be able to supply sugar.
to theCommunity. ] But, in this case, the Community says:
" Oh no, we'll increase the production of our own sugar."
The wonders of the C. A. P. never cease to amaze me.
Q. While you were in Moscow, Prime Mi nister, the trade Agreement
between the U. S. and the Soviet Union was ' cancelled by the
Soviet Union. Would you consider this to be a fundamental
change of course on the part of Soviet policy or would you
consider this to be a kind of temporary embarrassment?
A. I do not believe that this represents any fundamental change
of course by the Soviet Union at all. The whole of this
question was discussed with us by Mr. Kosygin on Tuesday
afternoon. He stressed both before, during, and after the
discussions of this item, that the Soviet Union was committed
to reinforcing the policy of detente with United States
and, in fact, between all countries. I am confident that
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that is settled Soviet policy. At the same time, it was
quite clear to us that the Soviet Union would not accept
the Jackson Amendment which the United States Senate
attached to the Administration Agreement between the
United States and the Soviet Union. To use an Australian
. phrase; it was clear to us last Tuesday afternoon, that
the Soviet Union would not cop this amendment.
Q. During your discussions with Herr Schmidt this morning,
were any other problems discussed?
A. There were some political or diplomatic matters which we
discussed of interest to our two countries, of course.
Q. Did you get the impression that reports of Mr. Brezhnev's
illness were a sign of a power realignment in the Kremlin
were inaccurate, or did you see some signs indicating that
they were correct?
A. I am not going to speculate on such matters. I've already
told you all I know.
Q. As a result of your visit to West Ger'many,, will we now see
increased uranium exports to West Germany?
A. We've never made any exports to West Germany yet and I don't
believe that West Germany has sought to buy any uranium.
But,-in March or maybe at the end of February, there will
be a visit by British and very likely associated Dutch and
German officials to Australia to discuss this question of
enrichment of Australian uranium in Australia. This is.
pursuant to an arrangement which was made between Australia
and Japan in November for a feasibility study Into this
very question.
I have just been reminded by our Staatssekretdr fUr
Nineralien und Energie that there have been some approaches
by German companies to buy uranium from Australia. But no
sales have been made. That is, no contracts were made
under the earlier Australian Government or by the present
Government.
Q. Prime Minister, Bonn marks the end of your European visit.
Summing up, Sir, what do you think you have achieved in
the various countries? Has there been one point of interest
that Europeans Leaders collectively have had in Australia?
A. This has been my first visit to the Federal Republic as
Prime Minister and, except for a visit I made some 20 months
ago to Britain, it has been the first visit I have made
as Prime Minister to ten European countries. My colleague,
Mr. Lionel Bowen, who, as you know, i's the Mi. nister assisting
the Prime Minister, also visited Malta while I had to go
back to Australia in connection with the Darwin cyclone
disaster. In the eleven countries we haye visited, there
has been a more comprehensive and thorough presentation
of the Australian point of view than has ever taken place
at any time in the past. it is . very clear to us in each
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country that by making a comprehensive visit of this
character the interest in every country was enhanced in
every case. There was anticipation and review of what
we had done already in the earlier visits or that we
would be doing in the visits which still had to take
place. There can be no question that by making a
comprehensive visit of this character at Head of
Government level, one achieves a concentration of interest
in evory cuuntry viaite,. . ln e. vory case, ( if' c: ourse, we
have visited the Head of State, the Head of Government,
and senior Ministers and senior Secretary-Gencrals and
Director-Generals, and it is quite clear to us that
Australia means inr It's more significant, to eacl
of these countriet. than was the case before.. Wie are,
of course, very appreciative of the reception we Lave
had in each case, but we believe Australia now is known
and understood better than had ever been the case before.
" Thank you very much, Prime MLinister.