TRIA NSCRIT PIME.^ TSTER IHAlKE ' FORUMf PRESS-ONFERENCE
28 AUGUST 19' 84 1.45 P. M.
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
Ladies and gentlemen, most of the time this morninqg : as
been spent on functional topics. The meeting commenced on
consideration of the special problems of smaller Foru. states
and our consideration of that matter was on the basis of a short
paper that had. been prepared by Kiribati. They propose a
committee of government representatives to direct itself really
to the concern that Kiribati had that is shared by other smaller
states that to some extent the co-operative arrangements that
are often made within the Forum and from out of the Forum
respecting Forum countries tend at times to pass the smaller
states by because they haven't got the intrinsic country
capacity or infrastructure to take advantage of some of the
aid proposals that are involved. Now that was the feeling
that was understood by members of the Forum and so a
Committee of the smaller states to be chaired by Kiribati
and comprising Western Samoa, the Cook Islands, Tuvalu,
Nuie, Fiji and New Zealand are to look at that matter and
to report to the next meeting of the Forum. The next item
was under the heading of Forum Institutional Arrangements
and this involved the weighty subject of the name of SPEC
as to whether because SPEC didn't in fact contain the name
Forum this did tend to confuse people. I admit
early on it confused me. But there was an affection evidenced
for the acronym SPEC and they couldn't bring themselves to
change the title at this stage and so it will continue to
as SPEC and continue the work of the Secretariat of the
Forum and be responsible for the co-ordination of the economic
co-operation efforts. And it may be that the matter may be
considered again next year. The next item was the Pacific
Forum Line. This really concerned the fact that within
New Zealand Mr Harry Julian, who had been the New Zealand
director of the Forum Line and Chairman of the Forum Line,
he has ceased to be the New Zealand director and so it was
indicated that there would be a meeting of the Forum Line
directors in about the third week of September and of course
the appointment of the Chairman is a matter then for the
Board. I note that David Lange gave reassurances to the
meeting that the Chairman's resignation will not impair the
Line's operation and that his Government remains committed
as was his predecessor to the operation of the Line.
There was another item dealt with and I mention this very
briefly. It was about supply of energy in to Forum Island
countries some concern that they at times paid higher
prices than appropriate for petroleum. There was very little
discussion on this item because there is an ongoing study
under the Pacific Energy Program and they will continue those
discussions . nd that again hopeifully will be a matter of " a
more substantive rePorc for the ne: t For. um. The Question cf
the Solomon Island intrcduction to the Forum then of the
Cispute thyv are currentlv havinc with the United States
over the rest of the arrest of the Jeanette Diana
P. M1. cont arose and there was general. sympathy exopressed
f -the* S 6o ioo n. r -4ilsklI pos'i'tibn* h'~ i. Th'e" pu'ses eleinethe Ja net'te
Din. a' was arrested by the'Solomon Island ' authorities f i
30 miles o; f ta cnoas and o1' i. iou1 . v: lv t. h ore -1 l
:; ithin their exclusive eco'omic zone. The : mtter has ben
discussed as to an appropriate form of resolution and officials
of Australia and New Zealand and the Solomon Islands will be
working on that this afternoon with a view to inclusion of
an appropriate reference in the final communique. I think
it's understood that ultimately the matter will have to be
resolved in bilateral negotiations between the Solomon Islands
and the United States Government and that ultimately this
issue, not only-in respect of the Solomon Islands but of other
regional island states, will depend upon the successful
conclusion of a multi-lateral access agreement and in that
respect we've noted that discussions are to take place on
this issue in Suva next month. The next item that was dealt
with was an item introduced by New Zealand in regard to the
law of the sea. New Zealand introduced a paper to the Forum
urging countries to sign and to ratify that agreement. The
current state of play as I recall is that about 135 countries
have signed, at this stage 12 have ratified. So the proposal
urging further signatures and ratification was uncontroversial
and was accepted. Then there was some fairly routine reports
to Forum heads from SPEC itself, the Forum Fisheries Agency
and the South Pacific Regional Environment Program and the
University of the South Pacific. They were quite routine.
There was virtually no discussion on those matters. Then
under the heading of Other Business I took the opportunity
there myself of reiterating some general points by way of
background to the consideration we had had yesterday of a
nuclear free zone to put it in. the context of our concern
at the way in which the variety of international negotiations,
particularly START and INF had broken down and the increasing
tension in negotiations or absence of negotiations between the
two superpowers and in that context referred to the work that
was being done in the Conference on Disarmament as a result
of initiatives on the subject of a comprehensive test ban
treaty. And I raised that because it seemed to me it was
appropriate to have that background in anything that we say
in the cormmunique on the subject of the nuclear free zone.
And that intervention that I made was accepted by the heads
of Government and will be reflected in the communique.
Michael Somare made a report on the situation regarding
border crossers between his country and West Irian. And
the substance of that report was that I think it could
be available, I don't think there's any problem about its
availability and I would think you could get copies of that.
if you wanted it from the Director but the essence of the
report is that following the outbreak of this incident in
February when there was the flag incident initiated by the OPM
in Irian Jaya Jayapura the talks took place in April between
the representatives of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. And there
was an expression of confidence by Michael Somare that this
matter was being satisfactorily resolved between the two
Governments. But that as I say if you want the fleshing out
of that it is available and I think Michael Somare was particularlv
keen to cot that stateent out in the licht of an unofficial
paper that was circulated yesterday by some Vanuatu based group
on this matter. And you will see when you read the statement
cont..: ' of ' Mic'hael Somare that * he refers to ' the fact that
a memorandum of aQree'-. Mnt ',: 4ith ndo. nesia \. as sent last week
which indicated that no problems are expected and he is
looking forward to a far better understanding with Indonesia
on this. One other matter well really four other slight
matters the Solomon Islands had put a paper in in regard
to the idea of an honours system for the region and I indicated
that I thought we couldn't accept the idea in principle and
if they wanted to pursue it they would need to put a more detailed
proposal in to the Secretariat and in those circumstances the
Solomon Islands withdrew their proposal. The representative
Nakayama of the Federated States of Micronesia reported on the
successful negotiations that were proceeding with the United
States in regard to their constitutional position and I am
pleased to say that in the course of making that report he
indicated full support for the Australian proposal in regard
to a nuclear free zone and indeed said that the constituents
of that proposal were entirely consistent with the constitution
of the Federated States of Micronesia. Twofold points towards
the end Sir Walter Lini raised the question in respect of
New Caledonia of whether given the fact that there is frequently
reference to the lack of trained Kanaks in the professional
and technical area and that that has been one of the elements
of the problem in the early granting of independence, he
raised the question of the possibility of educational scholarship
facilities being made available by member countries to enable
some acceleration of such training. And that was noted and
the countries gave a positive response to it. That, in other
words, didn't require a collective Forum decision but a positive
reaction from individual . members. Finally the dates for the
16th Forum next year were the 4th to 6th of August and to be
held in Rarutonga in the Cook Islands. May I say this, that
the officials will still be working on the communique this
afternoon and it's intended to adopt that this evening when
the reception is held we'll go into formal session very briefly
to formally adopt the record and communique.
JOURNALIST: So apart then, sir, than the communique the
Forum's finished.
Yes, and the feast tonight.
JOURNALIST: Any dancing.
And dancing.
JOURNALIST: Did New Zealand present a paper today on diplomatic
initiatives that Forum countries could take to put pressure on
France over New Caledonian independence.
P. M. No there was no paper presented.
-It. g'as. C er-ta. i. l. y not'to the Heids of Go'vrnmen-t,
there was-no p-aper circulated by New Zealand ih regard Lo
ways of putting pressure on France. I certainly cdidn' t see it.
JOURNœ. ALIST: What position did you take on the Solomon Island
That well it ., as a common position really that it
was a matter for resolution between the United States and
the Solomon Islands. We all agreed and while there were some
differences of vie,, about just the words to be used there
was no difference about the fact that it was an illegal action
which was apprehended by the Solomons and that will be reflacted
in the communique.
JOURNALIST: Is there going to be any criticism in the communique
of the United States' attitude to the 200 mile
Well what the form of expression will be is being
resolved in discussions between officials of the Solomons,
Australia and New Zealand. I mean in other words I can't
say what the form of expression will be until we see the
communique.
JOURNTALIST: When you raised the topic of the test ban treaty
did any other leaders speak on your background.
No, they accepted what I've said that it was appropriate
that a reference to that general. background should be included
because it provides, if you like, the current international
environment on these matters within which we'll be taking our
initiatives. There was no dissent at all from that position.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke how did you find working alongside
David Lange. I didn't work alongside him, he was at the other end
of the table.
JOURNALIST: ( inaudible)
Oh, I found it congenial. I don't wish to go into
comparisons with is predecessor.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, sir, have you discussed with the
leaders of Kiribati and Tuvalu the recommendation that their
people should be given assisted inuigration aid to Australia.
No.
JOURNALIST: There's no suggestion though or might there be in
the communique that Forum countries could agree to taking
trade sanctions or retaliation against the Americans.
P. M. No.
JOURNALIST: What sort of titles did the Solomon Islanders have
in. nind..ø I don't kno.. It didn't get to that stace.
JOURNALIST: Why weren't you in favour of it Prime Minister.
P. M. My Government has a very clear attitude to exogenous
titles. JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke do you believe that the slightly differing
attitude that Australian and New Zealand have to nuclear
disarmament as a central issue makes the relationshio between
New Zealand and Australia slightly more tense than you would
normally expect from two Labor Governments.
No I wasn't conscious of any tension on this issue and
in respect of the matters that we were dealing with here, of
course, % e are at one. Because I repeat that we agree to the
concept of a nuclear free zone and the position which I've put
on Australia's behalf last year is one which is entirely
consistent with their position. That is that in respect of
the one matter of access of nuclear powered or armed vessels
to a country's ports that that is a matter for decision
by the country concerned. We are at one on that.
JOURNALIST: Does that put the ANZUS treaty at risk as a result
of that. Does what.
JOURNALIST: New Zealand's decision not to allo%., ships.
Well I'm not aware that it's at risk.
JOURNALIST: When do you next expect to carry on discussions
with David Lange about the ship ban and ANZUS.
Well, as I've made clear before, this is not a matter
now for negotiation between Australia and New Zealand. We
have had our discussions. I've put our point of view. Mr Lange's
clearly aware of ,. hat our position is now as I've made clear
on a number of occasions and I do again, I don't know why one
has to keep repeating it, it has been made clear on many
occasions, but I'll do it again that it is now a matter
for discussion and negotiation between New Zealand and the
United States. Those discussions are going on. That's a matter
between those two countries.
JOURNALIST: The PNG border question Mr Somare was merely
making a report to the Forum was he about what was happening,
he wasn't asking for any special agreement.
No on the contrary it was a ma-tter of courtesy on
his part. Ile was certainly not asking for anything. His*.
cont.:* ' position that he made quite clear ait the
C} IOGRM meeting in Port Moresby earlier this month was when
it was raised in fact by another of the cntries, he was
very firm and correctly firm in my judgeoment, that this is
a matter between two sovereign indiependent nations Papua
New Guinea and Indonesia. And he was merely doing two things
I think doing a courtesy to Forum members to acquaint them
of those facts, not seeking endorsement acquainting them
with the facts and in a sense, of course, responding to
what he again might be regarded as improper references in
an unofficially circulated paper yesterday.
JOURNALIST: Therefore in fact the Forum was tacitly accepting
the fact that it was a bilateral matter between PNG and the
Indonesians. Not tacitly, explicitly.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, any thoughts of visiting New
Zealand. Yes, sure.
JOURNALIST: When do you think you might get around to it.
Well I don't know. We haven't gjot a specific timetable
in mind, but I'm certainly looking forward to coming over there
some time in the future.
JOURNALIST: Have you been
Oh yes, there is an interchange that Lange and I have
* had. There's been an indication on bot~ h our parts that we would
like to see one another in our respective countries.
JOURNALIST: Do you expect Lange to visit you too.
I've got no attitudes about these things. We've both
got our programs and the priorities that we have to fulfil and
there's no standing on dignity as to who visits first at all
either on his part or on mine.
JOURNALIST: Would you say Mr Hawke that you have a good rapport
with Mr Lange.
Oh yes, I would think so.
JOURNALIST: Have you actually spoken to him one-to-one since
you ' ye been here.
Yes.
JOURNALIST: Was that at the retreat.
Ispb" ee" ttrha C," Isok.' o hin on . hisvesel"
and just to even it up he spoke to iiie oii mine.
JOURNALIST: Who circulatethe paper on wSat Mr Sombre
was responding to.
P. M. It was some group based in Vanuatu.
JOURNALIST: You don't know what they're called do you?
No, I don't know
JOURNALIST: It's based in the Vanuatu Party Office.
Is it. I didn't actually see one, it seems to have
had a rather restricted circulation. But Michael saw it and
he had a strong reaction.
JOUPNALfST: Mr Hawke you've been to Tuvalu and you have seen
some of the problems can you be able to tell. us what
Australia may be doing in immuediate assistance
P. M. Well we're already giving very substantial assistance
and my visit here has confirmed that it's appropriate that
we should continue to do that.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, any special assistance?
Well there's been no request for special assistance
and we're not intrusive.
JOURNALIST: Do you see something-that might be
Well I'm not one who becomes an instant expert. After
a 24 hour visit it's much more appropriate that the Government
of Tuvalu should indicate what it's areas of priority are.
They know their needs better than I do.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister in view of the Papua New Guinea
stand on West Irian is the Forum's view that it should take
no notice whatsoever of a force of oppression and atrocity
that's being committed in that part of New Guinea by the
Indonesian Government.
The Forum didn't direct itself to this issue because
it accepted what is manifestly the correct position and that
is that Papua New Guinea is the only, by the way, the only
member country of the Forum which has contiguous boundaries
with another nation, and that the matters between those
two states and concerning their border is a matter for them.
It didn't address itself to the issue. It wasn't on the
agenda.
JOURNALIST: -So t. h'e reason t. h'at.. the -Forum was.-so reluctant
to debate the West Irian is it that Australia and Paaia
and New Guinea are si:. ply scared of Inc3-. esia?
Oh, we're not going to pursue with that ridiculous
line of questions. Is there a sensible question.
JOURNALIST: It think it's a reasonable question.
Well we're not here to debate.
JOURNALIST: Did you argue for a less strong criticism of the
United States over the Solomon Islands fishing
I don't think it's approprialte that we go into the
sort of particular contributions. But I'm prepared to say
this, that generally I take the view that if what you're about
is trying to resolve a dispute and to get back to a situation
which is going to be to the benefit of the complainant, which
in this case is the Solomons, then it makes more sense to
direct and concentrate what you've got to say and do upon a
method of resolving it rather than spending a great deal of
time hurling accusations around. That's the attitude that I've
always adopted and I do in this.
JOURNALIST: Were many of the Forum members supportive of
the Solomon Islands
It was not evident, no.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister has anything gone further regarding
Australia's patrol boat offer. Is that firmed up yet.
P. M: Yes, I reported to the Forum in the course of the discussions on
the Solomon Islands issue that requests for tender have been
let, let last month the month before last and so those
processes are now underway. We'll receive tenders and construction
would start next year I would hope.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke what about the small countries. I understand
Tuvalu, for example, claimed that it would cost $ 250,000 a
year to run one of these patrol boats and their total income
from fishing is something in the order of about $ 500,000.
Yes, there is a problem in respect of some of the
states with low incomes. Kiribati has the same sort of problem
and that's one of the reasons why we want to make the boats
an issue as relatively unsophisticated as is consistent with
the discharcge of the function involved. The speed of the boat
that we've been talking about is 20 knots. Now a couple of
the island countries have suggested 25 and even in one case,
knots. Now obviously the more that you increase the speed
of the vessel, the more sophisticated is the vessel and certainly
more e: censive and the more costly provisions for maintenance.
P. M. . coht... And s6 '* had" t his exa'mLien'evd ' and " at this
stage the view is that the 20 knot vessel would ge-erallv
sta_ ng noc t he rñ ccu irc-cnts d be . uch r. ore likel to
meet the very real concern that you raise. : ow it may be
that in respect of some of the smallest of the states that
have this problem, that there may have to be some consideration
of the economics of allocating some of their other aid towards
helping them in that respect. Because it depends, as you say,
upon the level of income which they either have currently
got or could But I don't believe that given the level
of the aid program that that should not: be a matter that's
capable of negotiation.
JOURNALIST: Sir the American Tuna Boat Association has made
some points about the fact the Jeanette Diana was arrested by what
they described as an Australian pleasure yacht which has guns
mounted on it. Do you have any attitude to Australian companies
providing patrol boats for military type purposes.
It's a matter of an arrangement between the sovereign
government of the Solomon Islands leasing a vessel. Now if
you're going to say that sovereign governments have the rights
to lease vessels, then they've got to g( jet them from somewhere
don't they. They did and when we undertake our program of
providing patrol boats for these purposes they will be provided
under tender by private companies in Australia for the Australian
Government. ENDS.