E 0 E PROOF ONLY
TRANSCRIPT OF'SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER AT RECEPTION FOR
JAPANESE AUSTRALIAN BICENTENARY COMMEMORATION COUNCIL
IMPERIAL HOTEL, TOKYO 15 MAY 1986
Mr Saito, distinguished members of the Australian Bicentenary
Commemorative Council, thank you very much for joining me
this evening and making it possible for me to convey to you
personally and on behalf of the Government and people of
Australia our thanks for the efforts that you have made in.
considering Japan's participation in Australia's Bicentenary
celebrations of 1988.
I particularly treasure the time that you are putting into this
effort because I am very much aware of the many demands on
the time of such eminent gentlemen.
For more than half of the two hundred years of European
settlement that is to be celebrated in 1988 Australia has had
contact with Japan but as you all know during the last
years our links have developed spectacularly and despite our
different cultures and languages we have achieved very real
interdependence and a very substantial affinity.
No one, of course, with any certainty can predict the future
but it seems to me that because of the fundamental characteristics
of our two countries, the nature of our economies and the fact
of geography suggests that our interests will be closely
intertwined for very many years to come.
My Government is delighted that you have decided to make a
substantial contribution to Australia's Bicentennial Science
Centre. This project located in the national capital's
parliamentary~ triangle will-provide a very permanent reminder
-of the clo'seness of the relationship between our two countries
as the Australian nation enters its third century and I thinkwe
must all agree that it is fitting that that relationship
should be symbolised by a science and technology centre as
that relationship between us has flowered in the age of
technology. I am very glad to note also that you endorse Japan's
participation in a number of other events and activities
during our Bicentennial year. In particular through the
participation of the Nippon Maru in the tall ships event
which will be a spectacular part of the celebrations early
in the* Bicentennial year.
2
The Prime Minister's very special gift of 300,000 cherry
trees which will be strategically placed around our new
Parliament House and other important parts. And of course
also your participation in Expo ' 88 in Brisbane will enable
very many hundreds of thousands to come to know Japan better
in our Bicentenary year.
May I, in conclusion gentlemen, thank you again most sincerely.
I repeat personally and on behalf of the Government and the
people of Australia and in thanking you also thank the
Japanese private sector for its decision to participate so
substantially in our Bicentennial celebrations particularly
for your contribution to the national science centre. I
express the hope that each one of you will come and personally
inspect that centre after it is completed in 1988 because it
will be one of the permanent centrepieces of reminder to
this and succeeding generations of the importance of the
relationship between our two countries.
Thank you.