P~ ress Ottice Transcript
Interview with Laurie Power of 0/ 10 Network
14 April 1978
QUESTION: Mr Fraser what is your approach to Mr Fukuda?
PRIME MINISTER: I won't be discussing bilateral Australia-
Japan matters, because these have been covered by Mr Anthony,
and indeed the normal Ministerial talks between Japan and
Australia will be resuming in late June when a team of
Japanese Ministers will be coming here. The Japanese
Prime Minister and myself will be discussing the wider
world economic issues and trade issues, because there are
a number of important international forums taking place this
year, multinational trade negotiations and UNCTAD meetings,
which involve the North-South problems, developing world
problems, and with the State of world trade it's going to
be very important that the right decisions be made. We have
got to get the world moving, towards an expansion of markets,
an expansion of trade, otherwise I think there's going to be
increasing protection, and I think especially from Europe,
as people fight for a larger share of existing markets, and
that could have very serious consequences for a number of
nations. And I believe there needs to be a new momentum and
new commitment on the part of many nations, to explore every
avenue every possibility of getting world trade moving,
expanding world markets, because that's going to ultimately
be the only way that we can provide markets for the products
from our farms and our factories and our mines, and when
I say " our" I don't just mean Australia. It's going to be
the only way in which there can be a full and sustained
reduction of unemployment around the world.
QUESTION: Is that your approach that Austalia's position will
improve relatively if you can get a better world trading situation?
PRIME MINISTER: If there is a better world trading situation,
of course that will help us enormously in our own economic
recovery. We're greatly dependent upon world trade, as I think
every Australian knows. But there are things we can do on our
own account, but at the same time we are greatly affected by
what happens overseas.
QUESTION: You won't be mentioning the prospects of trade
or things of that nature at this time?
PRIME MINISTER: No. When I approached Prime Minister Fukuda
I said that I wanted this matter to be on the major economic
issues that affect all of us, and he later on is going to the
United States, I've been asked to the Manley meeting in
Jamaica at the end of May, which again is motivated out of
the very same concerns that I've just expressed to you, and
the Manley meeting,-as a result of the Jamaican-German initiative
is I think the first time there'll be an informal meeting of
Heads of Government between developed and develop ing countries. / 2
2.
Now when you get to the formal discussions, countries tend
to go there with fixed positions, hard negotiating minds, and
the purpose of informal discussions, I believe, is to try and
find a way through. If we get to the situation in the next
three or four or five months where there isn't progress made
at MTN, no progress made at UNCTAD, there will be increasing
bitterness amongst developed nations, between developed and
developing. I think under those circumstances there would be
much greater world protectionism again particularly from
Europe, and under those circumstances the world would end
the year in a pretty unhappy situation.
QUESTION: One final brief point. Would you hope though that
your discussions, or first meeting, with Mr Fukuda as the
Prime Minister, Prime Minister, will ultimately help Australia's
relationship with Japan?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I would hope so. I believe we have a
very good relationship, and I was asked yesterday why are
you discussing these matters first of all with the Prime
Minister of Japan? I think the reason is very clear. We both
live in the Pacific, we have a very significant trading
relationship, we're both very significantly affected by what
happens in the wider world scene, and I think that we both
share these concerns, but I'll be exploring that in this
coming week and identifying avenues of common interest to
see if we can't independently or jointly contribute towards
better solutions throughout the course of this year.