PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT MONDAY, 28 JANUARY, 1980
PRIME MINISTER INTERVIEWED: MELBOURNE AIRPORT ON DEPARTURE
FOR UNITED STATES
Question
Mr. Fraser, rutile is on everybody's lips this morning.
Prime Minister
Yes, it is. Let me say something about that in just a moment.
I do want people to concentrate and keep in mind the main
issues that confront us. The main issue, as I have said on
many occasions, is not a particular aspect of our reaction,
whether it is the Olympic Games or something in relation to
rutile, it is the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and what needs
to be done about that. Now, the United States has taken a
number of measures. The President, I believe, the United
States, Britain, other countries, deserve support in the
general moves that they are undertaking to try and see that
there are no more Afghanistans. I have also said that the
weight that 14 million Australians can throw onto the scales
is obviously limited, but that does not mean to say we should
not use what weight we have. If the scales were evenly balanced,
and what Australia can do or Australia can say, is the one thing
that tips the scales the right way, then we would never forgive
ourselves if we just sat back and said " well, we can leave it
all to other people". Afghanistan is important for a number
of reasons. It is the first time the Soviets have used their
armies against a non-aligned country not part of the Soviet
power bloc in the post World War sense. That is very significant
for the non-aligned world. As I have said on many occasions,
it also gives an opportunity to have an influence over Middle
East oil supplies, striking at the heart of the economies of
advanced industrial countries. Now, having said all that,
that is the reason I am going overseas. Andrew Peacock is in
South East Asia, India and Pakistan. In our own future policy
development, it is very important for Australia to have as good
an understanding at the highest level possible of the views of
our close friends and neighbours, but also of the United States
and of the United Kingdom. As you know, I will also be having
discussions with Giscard d'Estaing and Helmut Schmidt. So, I will
have a good understanding of the United States' and the European
view when I come back. That will be of enormous help. I think
it is essential in framing our own policy attitudes for the future
on these matters.
You asked me about rutile. I have spoken to Mr. Anthony this
morning and that particular contract is under suspension. We had
announced some time ago a complete review of our relationships
with the Soviet Union, and that includes we have announced a
number of specific decisions but that review obviously included
trade aspects, matters that could be important in a strategic
sense. In the light of what occurred when I was in Tasmania, we
have asked that a study of that particular aspect be expedited.
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Prime Minister ( continued)
I can say a little more about that because in the past we
have had a list of strategic materials that have not been
exported to certain places. I will be discussing, in the
United States, the need to have that kind of list again.
But that particular contract, after discussion with Mr. Anthony
this morning, is under suspension and so we will be able to
look at that quietly. But, let me again make the point, that
is not the issue. The issue is the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan. Question How much ( inaudible) contract worth, do you know?
Prime Minister
No, I don't know.
Question
Mr. Carter has already taken a very strong stand on the issue.
Do you think your voice will make that stand even stronger?
Prime Minister
The President of the United States' task it is an awesome onebut
also I think the loneliest job in the free world, in the
world of independently-minded nations that want to govern their
own affairs. I think it is terribly important that, where
we believe the United States is right, where we believe that the
United States is supporting the general interests of independent
nations, that we say so. I think it is encouraging for anyone
to know that he has his own people with him. I believe it
would be encouraging both for the United States' people and
for the President to know that in broad terms a country such
as Australia supports'what they are seeking to do in a matter
as important as this. I certainly know it would make a
difference to me, feeling as I do on ' an issue like this. But
I carry the goodwill of a great majority of Australians in the
discussions that I will be having over the next ten days.
Question Do you believe the weight of the Western world will be able
to force the Russians out of Afghanistan?
Prime Minister
I think that is very difficult. I would like to think so.
But I have also said in the past that once armies have moved
it is very difficult to get them rejected, to get them out.
The critical matter therefore for independently-minded nations
is to make sure that there are no more Afghanistans.
Question will defence in the Indian Ocean be the main topic of
discussion? / 3
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Prime Minister
The Indian Ocean, obviously, will be an important element
of the discussions, and why the Chief of Defence Staff is
coming with me is to enable him to have discussions with
his counterparts on the best way in which we will be able
to assist in the patrolling and surveillance over the
Indian Ocean area. We have equipment in our defence forces
that are very well suited to this task, and we will be able
to expand our effort. We have! already told the United States
that, so there will be some discussion of it. Broadly, the
political, economic and strategic consequences of the Russian
move into Afghanistan that is what the conversations are
all about.
Question Has the fact that our own Olympic Committee not supported a
boycott of. the Olympic Games will that embarass your talks
with Mr. Carter?
Prime Minister
No, it will not be embarassing, but I would have hoped that
the Olympic Committee would have a view of their own that they
would put. The United States Olympic Cormmittee has taken a
firm view. The indications around the world are that a number
of countries have serious reservations about the Olympic Games
in Moscow. We would all love to be able to say politics and
sport are separate, they have nothing to do with each other.
But we know from the days of apartheid in sport, apartheid
that came out of a Government decision, that it is not possible
to keep politics and sport separate. We also know that a country
such as the Soviet Union would use the athletes of the world
going to Moscow for the Olympics as a marked propaganda occasion;
all the world in a sense coming to pay homage to the Soviet Union
in Moscow and the fact that it was an international Olympic event,
and not a Russian event would become lost and submerged in the
Soviet handling of the event. That needs to be very much
understood. The advisers that we have, and who have studied
the Soviet Union very very closely indeed, they tell us that no
other single act would bring home to the Soviet Government and
to the Soviet people so strongly, so vehemently, our strength of
feeling about Afghanistan, as a boycott of the Olympic Games.
Question Is the prime motive of this trip tactical, or as a show of
support amongst Western nations?
Prime Minister
No, the prime purpose of this trip and this is the element
in which I certainly believe that I have the support of a great
majority of Australians is to make sure that I am as well
advised as possible, the thinking at the highest levels, the
United States and the United Kingdom so we can exchange views.
In matters as important as this, countries do not go off
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Prime Minister ( continued)
on separate and independent tangents. There is a general
interest here, an interest for all governments, for all
countries, that want to maintain the independence of nations.
Against that background, the consultation, understanding of
each other's mind, is of vast importance, as I have said, for
Australia. Quite apart from the normal diplomatic exchanges,
consultations with Andrew Peacock in South East Asia and in
India and Pakistan, that is one element, and then my own
conversations in the United States, Britain, France and Germany,
will give-me an insight on how they see these matters. It
does not mean to say we just sit and listen. It will be a
general exchange of view and hopefully a meeting of minds.
Question Do you hope to bring about possible retaliatory action by
the Soviet Union in terms of trade with Australia?
Prime Minister
Oh look, if that happens, that happens. But we go into that
sort of thing with our eyes wide open, because there are more
important issues at stake. The kind of country that we leave
our children we-are nearly at the end of this century, we
will get into the year 2000 before very long, in two decades
the kind of country we leave our children as we go to the
year 2000 and beyond, that is the important thing. That is the
obligation and responsiblity on us when there are great issues
at stake. There should not be anything else in our minds.
Question Do you hope to bring concrete proposals back to Cabinet?
Prime Minister
I do'not think it is really that kind of a mission. Nobody,
out of these discussions, is going to get the sudden answer, the
final solution to the problems the Soviets have posed by
Afghanistan. There is not some sudden, easily found key which
will give us the total solution. I think that what we are really
seeking to establish is a feeling of determination, of resolve,
amongst countries such as the United States and Australia and
many, many others around the world, and determination that we
will need to keep with us not just for a few days, weeks, or
months, but for years, because the Soviet Union has shown us
again what she is capable of, what prepared to do, if the guards
of, again, free and independent nations, is relaxed.
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