SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER AT THE FIJIAN WELCOMING CEREMONY
29 AUGUST 1984
PRIME MINISTER
APPRECIATE THE FINE WELCOME WHICH HAS GREETED ME HERE TODAY.
THE SOUTH PACIFIC HAS A WELL-REGARDED REPUTATION FOR
MAKING THE TRAVELLER FEEL WELCOME, AND THE PEOPLE OF FIJI
ARE NO EXCEPTION. THE SPLENDOUR OF THIS CEREMONY IS A TRIBUTE
TO THE WARM-HEARTED GENEROSITY OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT
ISLAND NATION.
I AM PARTICULARLY HONOURED BY THE PRESENTATION OF THIS FINE
TABUA. I WOULD PARTICULARLY LIKE TO THANK THE SCHOOL PUPILS OF
RATU KADAVU LEVU AND ADI CAKOBAU. I AM VERY IMPRESSED THAT BY
THEIR PARTICIPATION OF THIS FINE AND DIGNIFIED CEREMONY TODAY
THEY ARE ENSURING THE CONTINUATION OF THEIR CULTURAL IDENTITY.
THESE CEREMONIES IN WHICH I HAVE BEEN PLEASED TO PARTICIPATE
THODY ArE PACIT OF YOUR MEA TIOR ERE CE A PROUD TRADITION
MSTRKIN THE TCEK CROSS N Y ECMETI AN. THE EFORT YOU HVE
MADE TO PRSERV YOUR HERSITGE IN MODERN FIJIAN SOCIETY H IAS
BBEEEENNW UWEELLLL RREEWLAARDDEEDD AANNDD II TTOHHAANNKK YYOOUU AAGGAAIINN,,,,
1A.
IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU HERE IN
SUVA TODAY.
IT IS ALMOST A YEAR AGO THAT I HAD THE HONOUR OF WELCOMING
YOU, MR PRIME MINISTER, TO AUSTRALIA FOR THE CANBERRA SOUTH
PACIFIC FORUM.
I AM ESPECIALLY PLEASED THAT I AM IN FiJI VIRTUALLY WITHIN
THE YEAR.
MR PRIME MINISTER, WE HAVE BOTH JUST COME FROM TUVALU WHERE
WE BOTH ENJOYED THE WARMTH OF HOSPITALITY OF THE TUVALUAN
GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE.
Now I HAVE THE IMMENSE PLEASURE OF EXPERIENCING FIJI'S.
IN TUVALU . WE HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS A WIDE AND VARIED RANGE OF SUBJECTS
OF IMPORTANCE TO THE REGION. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE RESUMPTION
OF OUR TALKS THIS AFTERNOON.
WVIE IN AUSTRALIA BELIEVE THAT OUR FUTURE LIES WITH THE
ASIA/ PACIFIC REGION.
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2.
4/ LY . REOGN ISE' T1T-. " E,-WE A. REA7 JEAL TO CO TRI" U'TE
TO THE REGION AND WILL ERY LI KELY BE SUB ST ANTIALLY AFFECTED
BY REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS, IT IS VERY MUCH IN THE INTERESTS
OF ALL OF US WITHIN THE REGION THAT WE CONSOLIDATE THE
CONDITIONS OF EFFECTIVE REGIONAL ( CO-OPERATION. THE TASK OF
IDENTIFYING REGIONAL SOLUTIONS TO REGIONAL PROBLEMS IS AMONG
OUR MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES.
AS WAS VERY APPARENT AT OUR LATEST MEETING IN TUVALU, THE
SOUTH PACIFIC FORUM GIVES THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IN A FRIENDLY AND INFORMAL WAY, MATTERS
OF MUTUAL CONCERN. IT ENABLES US TO REACH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
OF EACH OTHER'S POSITION ON THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF ISSUES
RANGING FROM SECURITY CONCERNS TO SOCIAL WELFARE. IT ALSO
PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS A VIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS
WHICH DIRECTLY AFFECT US ALL.
I THOUGHT THE EXPRESSION OF GRAVE CONCERN BY ALL THE SOUTH
PACIFIC LEADERS AT THE PERSISTENCE BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT
IN THEIR PROGRAM OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTING IN THE PACIFIC
DESPITE THE LONG-STANDING PROTESTS OF THE GOVERNMENTS AND
PEOPLES OF THE REGION WAS A MOST VISIBLE DEMONSTRATION OF
A SHARED, DEEPLY FELT REGIONAL ANXIETY.
IT IS SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE TO US, THE COUNTRIES OF THE
SOUTH PACIFIC, THAT THE FRENCH SHOULD BE USING THE SOUTH
PACIFIC CUR O,' N PRECIOUS E;, V! ROW" EMT IN THEIR EFFORTS TO
PERFECT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION,
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3.
AusT AL: A, FOR ITS PAR'T, HA'S SUS'Pfl -DIDSl -I P., rS-OF U '* AIN 1i.
TO FRANCE AS EVIDlU CE OF OUR CCHIT iU; D CONCERN OVER THIS
TESTING, EXTENSIVE AND IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS ALSO TOOK PLACE AT THE
FORUM ON THE CONCEPT OF A SOUTH PACIFIC NUCLEAR FREE ZONE,
THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS.
THE DECISION TO ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP TO TAKE FURTHER
THE DRAFT SET OF PRINCIPLES ON SUCH A ZONE AND TO REPORT TO
FORUM GOVERNMENTS IS A VERY USEFUL STEP FORWARD.
IT WILL ENABLE FURTHER ELABORATION OF THE CONCEPT ON THE
BASIS OF CONSENSUS BETWEEN COUNTRIES. IN THIS WAY THE
INTERESTS OF ALL WILL BE FULLY REPRESENTED IN THE PROPOSALS,
MOST IMPORTANTLY IT SHOULD PRODUCE A CONCRETE AND REALISTIC
PROPOSAL WHICH CAN BE PRESENTED CONFIDENTLY TO THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
IT IS MY PROFOUND CONVICTION THAT WE, THE COUNTRIES OF THE
REGION, MUST DO WHAT WE CAN, USE WHAT INFLUENCE WE HAVE, TO
REDUCE THE DREADFUL THREAT OF NUCLEAR WAR,
I'E CANNOT LEAVE IT TO THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS STATES ALONE TO
DETERMINE ALL ACTION IN THESE AREAS, WlE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY
BEFORE OUR PEOPLE TO BE HEARD ON THESE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES,
g
-GOVE. RNMENT-HAS GIVEN ITS FULL SUPPORT FOR TH. E NUCLEAR.
T
. R -PROLI ATiO: TREATY. THAT TREATY I N CUR VIEW,, IS THE
MOST IMPORTANT MULTILATERAL NON-PROLIFERATION AND ARMS
CONTROL AGREEMENT IN EXISTENCE. NATIONALLY WE ARE DOING
EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO STRENGTHEN INTERNATIONAL ADHERENCE
TO THE TREATY.
CERTAINLY AUSTRALIA REJECTS CATEGORICALLY ANY NUCLEAR WEAPONS
OPTION FOR ITSELF,
THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY ALSO SPECIFICALLY AFFIRMS
THE RIGHT OF ALL COUNTRIES TO USE NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR PEACEFUL
PURPOSES. IT REQUIRES THOSE COUNTRIES IN A POSITION TO DO SO
TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IN
MEMBER COUNTRIES WHICH WISH TO USE THIS SOURCE OF ENERGY
FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES.
ACCORDINGLY, UNDER THE TREATY, AUSTRALIA HAS A DOUBLE OBLIGATION:
-TO WORK TOWARD DISARMAMENT, AND TO SHARE RELEVANT
RESOURCES WITH THOSE COMMITTED TO THE USE OF NUCLEAR
ENERGY FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES,
OUR POSITION AS A MAJOR URANIUM PRODUCER IS VERY RELEVANT IN
THIS REGARD.
IT WOULD BE EASY TO TAKE THE SOFT OPTION, SELECTIVELY, TO ADOPT
A PASSIVE ATTITUDE TO THOSE CBLIGATIONS OF THE TREATY WHICH
MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO SHOULDER,
WE WILL NOT DO SO,
ONLY THROUGH CONSISTENT AND DETERMINED EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN
AND STRENGTHEN THE TREATY IN ALL ITS ASPECTS ARE WE LIKELY
TO ENSURE THAT THE SPREAD OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IS PREVENTED,
IT IS OUR PARTICULAR HOPE THAT ALL THE COUNTRIES OF THE
SOUTH PACIFIC, THROUGH THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE NUCLEAR
NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC NUCLEAR FREE
ZONE, WILL MAINTAIN THE SOUTH PACIFIC AS AN AREA WHERE
NEIGHBOURS CAN LIVE TOGETHER IN PEACE AND HARMONY.
IN OUR SHARED REGIONAL PURSUIT OF THESE GOALS, FORMAL AND
INFORMAL SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS, PARTICULARLY THE ANZUS ALLIANCE,
MUST CONTINUE NOW, AS IN THE PAST, TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE.
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS OF THE VIEW, AND I KNOW THAT THIS
VIEW IS SHARED BY FIJI, THAT IT IS VITAL IN OUR EFFORTS TO
ENHANCE FURTHER THE SECURITY AND STABILITY OF THE REGION, THAT
WE NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACTORS WHICH HAVE WORKED TO OUR
COLLECTIVE ADVANTAGE FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES.
IN THIS REGARD I CAN CLEARLY STATE THAT AUSTRALIA WILL CONTINUE
TO WELCOME SHIP VISITS BY OUR ALLIES. I AM PLEASED,
MR PRIME MINISTER, THAT FIJI SHARES THE SAME VIEW,
WE INEED TO PRESS FOR A MORE OPEN AlrD EQUITABLE INTERNATIONAL
TRADING SYSTEM IN WHICH THE MAJOR TRADING COUNTRIES W'' ILL ALLOW
US LESS RESTRICTED ACCESS TO THEIR MARKETS, PARTICULARLY IN
THE AREA OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES.
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I KNOW TH. T Fiji AS A PA. RTICULAR I N ER" ST H ERE I1 THE S UGAR
TRADE, AND I AI SURE THAT FOR YOU., AS FOR US, THE COLLAPSE
OF THE INTERNATIONAL SUGAR AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS SOME WEEKS
AGO HAS CAUSED CONCERN,
As A NEW ROUND OF MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS MIGHT BE
STARTED BEFORE MUCH LONGER, WE IN THE REGION SHOULD, AS I
SUGGESTED LAST ' YEAR, BE CONSIDERING HOW WE MIGHT REGISTER
MOST EFFECTIVELY IN THE MINDS OF THE MAJOR TRADING NATIONS
THE INTERESTS WHICH WE SHARE AS COUNTRIES OF THE REGION,
TOO OFTEN IN THE PAST OUR CONCERNS HAVE BEEN PUSHED ASIDE.
AUSTRALIA WILL SUPPORT A NEW ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS ONLY IF
IT SERIOUSLY AND EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSES OUR SPECIAL CONCERNS
AND THE CONCERNS OF OUR NEIGHBOURS,
WE CONSIDER IT TO BE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE COUNTRIES OF
THE REGION THAT THE PROTECTIONIST TRENDS OF THE RECENT YEARS
OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RECESSION BE REVERSED,
AUSTRALIA HAS, I BELIEVE, A PARTICULAR ROLE TO PLAY IN
CONTRIBUTING TO THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF THE REGION. AS A
PARTNER IN DEVELOPMENT WE CAN HELP STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH,
ENHANCE TRADE PROSPECTS AND ENCOURAGE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
WITHIN THE REGION.
TO THIS END HAVE GIVEN THE REGION TIHE HIGHEST PRIORITY
IN OUR OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM1' E ARE
CO: I;' ITTED TO PROVIDING1 $ 0 MILLION IN AID TO THE SOUTH
PACIFIC IN THE 5 YEAR PERIOD TO 1987/ 88. INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY
PROGRAMS ARE BEING DEVELOPED ACCORDING TO PRIORITIES SET BY.
RESPECTIVE INATIONAL GOVERNMENTS AND ADMINISTERED W ITH THE
GREATEST POSSIBLE FLEXIBILITY,
UNDER OUR DEFENCE CO-OPERATION PROGRAM, WE PROVIDE MILITARY
AS WELL AS POLICE TRAINING.
TO ASSIST IN ECONOMIC GROWTH WE HAVE PROVIDED ENLARGED TRADING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRODUCTS OF THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION
THROUGH THE SPARTECA TRADE AGREEMENT. I'E ARE AWARE THAT SOME
COUNTRIES, INCLUDING FIJI, ARE NOT HAPPY WITH ASPECTS OF THE
OPERATION OF SPARTECA, ESPECIALLY IN THE RULES OF ORIGIN
PROVISIONS AND ALSO WITH APPAREL, . WE HAVE THEREFORE ESTABLISHED
WORKING GROUPS AIMED AT RESOLVING THESE DIFFICULTIES AND WILL
EXTEND FOR A FURTHER YEAR THE " SEED" QUOTA FOR APPAREL.
AT THE AUSTRALIAN MARKETING END WE HAVE ALSO ASSISTED THE
ACTIVITIES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC TRADE COMMISSIONER IN SYDNEY
AND HAVE EXTENDED A'RANGE OF MARKETING ADVISORY SERVICES TO
-ASSIST ISLAND PRODUCERS TO DEVELOP AN AUSTRALIAN MARKET,
FIJI HAS A TRADE IMBALANCE WITH AUSTRALIA BROUGHT ABOUT IN PART
BY YOUR IMPORTS OF FUEL AND FUEL PRODUCTS. BECAUSE OF THIS
FACTOR, A TRADE IMTA1.-LANCE IS VIRTUALLY INEVITABLE: AUSTRALIA
TOO RUNS A BILATERAL TRADE IIMBALANCE WITH THOSE NATIONS FROM
VWHOM SOURCE THE BULK OF OUR OIL IMPORTS,
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IT IS PLEASING., HOWEVER., TO'SEE THAT YOUR EXPORTS TO
AU STRALIA HA ; C7:, A3J) 3D Y 1' ER 50 CE[; T I LAST
TWO YEARS AND THAT EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE IMBALANCE ARE
CONTINUING ON BOTH SIDES.
A FURTHER ASPECT OF FIJI's BALANCE OF PAYMENTS SHOULD BE
TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN ASSESSING BILATERAL PAYMENTS BETWEEN
NATIONS IN THE INVISIBLES ACCOUNT. ONE OF THE MAJOR ITEMS
IN THIS ACCOUNT IS EARNINGS FROM TOURISM, AUSTRALIAN
TOURISTS CONTRIBUTE VERY SIGNIFICANTLY TO FIJI's EARNINGS.
THE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN OUR AIRLINES QANTAS AND AIR PACIFIC
IN JOINTLY PROMOTING FIJI AND THE REGION AS A HOLIDAY
DESTINATION FOR AUSTRALIANS HAS BEEN A MAJOR SUCCESS, AND I
HAVE EVERY EXPECTATION THAT FIJI WILL CONTINUE TO BE A MUCH
SOUGHT-AFTER OVERSEAS HOLIDAY DESTINATION FOR AUSTRALIANS.
IT IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW MUTUAL CO-OPERATION TO
ACHIEVE A COMMON OBJECTIVE CAN BENEFIT BOTH OUR COUNTRIES.
MR PRIME MINISTER
AUSTRALIA AND FIJI SHARE MANY COMMON OBJECTIVES AND ASPIRATIONS.
WE ARE BOTH PART OF A REGION WHICH WE WISH TO SEE CONTINUE
AS AN AREA OF PEACE, PROSPERITY AND POLITICAL STABILITY,
' E HAVE A PARTNERSHIP BASED ON MIU TUAL RESPECT AND
U'. DE3RS TAI DING. IT IS A PARTE: RSHIlP HICHI CAN IN THE
FUTURE ONLY DEVELOP TO OUR MUTUAL ADVANTAGE AND TO THE
ADVANTAGE OF OUR REGION.
I CAN ASSURE YOU AUSTRALIA REGARDS THIS COMlMITMENT AS AMONG
ITS MOST IMPORTANT. E WILL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO ASSURE THE MAINTENANCE OF CONDITIONS THAT WILL ALLOW
THIS PARTNERSHIP TO FLOURISH.