PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH AT BANQUET GIVEN BY
HIS EXCELLENCY DR ATTEF MOHAMMED NAGUIB SIDKY
PRIME MINISTER OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT, CAIRO
1 FEBRUARY 1987
MR PRIME MINISTER
M-MRS-STDKY
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS o
I HAVE GREATLY-APPRECIATED, MR PRIME MINISTER, YOUR WARM WELCOME,
YOUR GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY, AND IN PARTICULAR THE VERY BENEFICIAL
EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WE HAVE ENJOYED TODAY.
ALTHOUGH THE LINKS BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES GO BACK TO TWO
WORLD WARS IN WHICH AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS CAME TO EGYPT, THERE
HAS BEEN NO VISIT BY AN AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER TO YOUR
COUNTRY IN MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS.
TO RECALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THAT LAST VISIT RELATED AS
IT WAS TO THE SUEZ CRISIS IS TO APPRECIATE HOW PROFOUND HAVE
BEEN THE CHANGES WE HAVE WITNESSED OVER-THE THREE INTERVENING
DECADES,
THE FAILURE OF THE SUEZ INTERVENTION WAS A-VERY SIGNIFICANT
EVENT IN THE ENDING OF COLONIALISM AND THE EMERGENCE OF
NATIONALISM ON THIS CONTINENT.
AUSTRALIA HAS I THINK PROVEN ITS CREDENTIALS AS AN EFFECTIVE
OPPONENT OF COLONIALISM, PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST FIFTEEN
YEARS. WHETHER IT BE IN OUR OWN REGION OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC,
OR IN THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST APARTHEID IN SOUTH
AFRICA, WE HAVE MADE CLEAR OUR COMMITMENT TO SELF-DETERMINATION
AND DEMOCRACY.
TODAY, EGYPT AND AUSTRALIA SHARE A MATURE, STABLE AND FRIENDLY
RELATIONSHIP.
c
FOR ITS PART, WHILE THE MIDDLE EAST REMAINS A FOCUS OF
CONSIDERABLE TENSION, EGYPT HAS EMERGED AS ONE OF THE
PRINCIPAL PARTIES WORKING FOR PEACE.
WITH THE ATTAINMENT OF THE CAMP DAVID ACCORDS IN 1978, EGYPT
AND ISRAEL TOOK THE HISTORIC DECISION TO BRING TO AN END A
LONG PERIOD OF CONFLICT. YOU DEMONSTRATED THAT THERE IS ANEGOTIABLE,-
PEACEFUL-ROUTE -TOWARDS-THE SETTLEMENT OF-WHAT---
ONCE SEEMED IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES.
I MUST IN PARTICULAR PAY TRIBUTE TO YOUR LATE PRESIDENT,
ANWAR SADAT, FOR HIS FORESIGHT AND COURAGE IN ENTERING INTO
THAT AGREEMENT.
PRESIDENT MUBARAK HAS CARRIED FORWARD THE WORK OF PEACE
WITH GREAT DETERMINATION. ONLY LAST SEPTEMBER, FOR EXAMPLE,
HE AND MR PERES DECLARED 1987 TO BEA_-YEAR OF-NEGOTIATIONS_-
FOR PEACE.
UNHAPPILY, OTHER VITAL ASPECTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST DISPUTE
REMAIN UNRESOLVED. I HAVE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF THIS
VISIT TO THE AREA TO INFORM MYSELF DIRECTLY OF THE PROSPECTS
FOR PEACE.
MY TALKS IN AMMAN ENABLED ME TO LEARN AT FIRST HAND THE
SINCERE COMMITMENT OF KING HUSSEIN AND THE JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT
FOR PEACE WITH ISRAEL.
IN ISRAEL, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF EXPOSURE TO A WIDE SPECTRUM
OF OPINION WHICH INFORMS ISRAELI POLICY. THERE, TOO, I FOUND
A SINCERE DESIRE FOR PEACE WITH ALL ISRAEL'S NEIGHBOURS.
I
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT THERE WILL BE NO
PEACEFUL, JUST AND LASTING SOLUTION TO THE DISPUTE BETWEEN
ISRAEL AND ITS ARAB NEIGHBOURS WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE A GENERAL
RECOGNITION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
WE REMAIN FUNDAMENTALLY COMMITTED TO THE SECURITY OF ISRAEL AND
ITS RIGHT TO EXIST WITHIN SECURE AND RECOGNISED BOUNDARIES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS 2A2 AND 3388,
WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT A RESOLUTION OF THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION
IS CENTRAL TO ANY MIDDLE EAST SETTLEMENT.
WHILE IN ISRAEL I HAD VALUABLE TALKS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF
PALESTINIAN OPINION. THESE TALKS HAVE CONFIRMED THE VIEW
CONSISTENTLY HELD BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT THAT THE
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION
INCLUDING THE RIGHT, IF THEY SO CHOOSE, TO INDEPENDENCE AND THE
POSSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT STATE.-IN THE
COURSE OF A NUMBER OF THE TALKS I-HAVE HAD SINCE LEAVING CANBERRA,
I HAVE ENCOUNTERED AN EMERGING AND IMPORTANT VIEW THAT A
CONFEDERATION WITH JORDAN IS THE MOST LIKELY OUTCOME.
WE RECOGNISE THAT WHATEVER ARRANGEMENTS ARE FINALLY SETTLED WILL
DEPEND ON DECISIONS INVOLVING THE PARTICIPATION AND AGREEMENT
OF ALL PARTIES CONCERNED.
NOW, MR PRIME MINISTER, IN EGYPT, A COUNTRY OF GREAT IMPORTANCE
AND CONSTRUCTIVE INFLUENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND BEYOND, I VALUE
THE DISCUSSIONS WE HAVE HAD TODAY, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING
THE VIEWS OF PRESIDENT MUBARAK ON THE SEARCH FOR PEACE.
I AM ALSO VERY INTERESTED TO. HEAR EGYPTIAN VIEWS ON DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE WIDER MIDDLE EAST REGION, INCLUDING THE TRAGIC WAR BETWEEN
IRAN AND IRAQ AND YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPORTANT ISLAMIC SUMMIT
IN KUWAIT. I
4.
AUSTRALIA DOES NOT SEEK TO EXAGGERATE ITS CAPACITY TO INFLUENCE
EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. BUT THIS VISIT OF MINE UNDERLINES
OUR RESPECT AND FRIENDSHIP FOR THE COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES OF
THE REGION AND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR DESIRE FOR AN END
TO CONFLICT AND TENSION AND THEIR ASPIRATIONS FOR PROSPERITY.
THAT DESIRE AND THAT ASPIRATION ARE SURELY INTERCONNECTED.
RESOLUTION OF THE MIDDLE EAST DISPUTE AS A WHOLE, BUILDING
ON-THEACCOMPLISHMENT-SOFCAMPDAVID,_ COULDCLEARLYHAV-E-AN
ENORMOUSLY FAVOURABLE IMPACT ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND
PROSPECTS FOR-EGYPT-AND-THE-REGION.--IT-COULD-OPEN-THE-WAYFOR
PRODUCTIVE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN COUNTRIES WHICH-ARE TODAYDIVIDED
FROM ONE ANOTHER.
MR PRIME MINISTER
As WE BOTH KNOW THESE ARE NOT EASY ECONOMIC TIMES. THE
AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY IS ENCOUNTERING SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS AND
PRESSURES. THE CONSTRUCTION OF POLICIES TO OVERCOME THESE
DIFFICULITIES AND TO FACILITATE SUSTAINED GROWTH HAS-BEEN
A MAJOR PREOCCUPATION OF MY GOVERNMENT.
ACCORDINGLY, I HAVE REAL SYMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING FOR THE
MUCH GREATER CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUkRGOVERNMENT IN ITS
EFFORTS TO ENSURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TO IMPROVE THE
QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE.
FOR EGYPT, AS FOR AUSTRALIA, THE SUCCESS OF DOMESTIC POLICIES
OF ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT WILL BE CRUCIALLY DEPENDENT ON THE
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE OPERATE. As I HAVE
REPEATEDLY STRESSED, MOST RECENTLY IN OPENING THE INTERNATIONAL
SYMPOSIUM AT DAVOS ONLY A FEW DAYS AGO, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT
FAIRER AND MORE OPEN INTERNATIONAL TRADING ARRANGEMENTS BE
SECURED.
IN THIS AREA THE MAJOR ECONOMIC POWERS HAVE SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
NOT ONLY TO REFRAIN FROM PROTECTIONISM IN THEIR INTERNATIONAL
BEHAVIOUR BUT TO PRACTISE THEMSELVES WHAT THEY PREACH TO OTHERS
IN MATTERS OF ECONOMIC DISCIPLINE AND ADJUSTMENT AND COOPERATION.
MR PRIME MINISTER
I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE COOPERATION-BETWEEN-OUR-TWO COUNTRIES----
-CAN-CONTRTBUTE--ALBE-tT-N-A-SMAtL-WAY-T-O-ASSI-STiNG-EGYPT---S
ECONOMIC ENDEAVOURS.
SINCE OUR TWO-COUNTRIES ESTABLISHED DIPLOMATIC-RELATIONS -IN
1950, OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS HAVE GROWN IN RANGE AND COMPLEXITY.
FOR AUSTRALIA, EGYPT HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT TRADING PARTNER,
ESPECIALLY FOR EXPORTS OF OUR WHEAT. AT THE SAME TIME WE
FULLY RECOGNISE THAT EGYPT WISHES TO EXPORT MORE TO AUSTRALIA
AND I ASSURE YOU THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO HELP YOU IN THAT EFFORT.
IN NEW AREAS OF CO-OPERATION, RANGING FROM SUPPLY OF STEAMINGCOAL,
TO ARID FARMING TECHNIQUESTO TOURISM, I BELIEVE THERE
IS GOOD POTENTIAL FOR US TO WORK TO OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT.
I WOULD LIKE ALSO TO RECORD OUR SATISFACTION WITH THE
CONSTRUCTIVE CONSULTATION THAT TAKES PLACE BILATERALLY AND IN
MULTILATERAL FORUMS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND EGYPT ON INTERNATIONAL
ISSUES.
A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT EXAMPLE IS THE. STRONG. SUPPORT OUR TWO
COUNTRIES HAVE GIVEN TO THE CAUSE OF NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION,
TO THE NPT, AND TO THE SYSTEM OF INTERNATIONAL SAFEGUARDS.
EGYPT'S ROLE HERE HAS BEEN EXEMPLARY.
EGYPTIANS HAVE BECOME VALUED MEMBERS OF THE AUSTRALIAN
MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY. THEIR PRESENCE HAS INCREASED THE
KNOWLEDGE OF AND INTEREST IN THE LAND OF THEIR BIRTH AND
ENCOURAGED EFFORTS TO PROMOTE COMMERCIAL AND CULTURAL RELATIONS.
, I
TAKING ALL THESE STRANDS TOGETHER THEN, MR PRIME MINISTER
WHAT BECOMES CLEAR IS THAT WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH
SHARED INTERESTS, MUTUAL RESPECT AND FRIENDSHIP FOR ONE
ANOTHER FAR OUTWEIGH THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN US.
I HOPE, AND CONFIDENTLY EXPECT, THAT MY VISIT TO EGYPT
WILL SERVE TO DEVELOP OUR TIES EVEN FURTHER.
MAY I NOW, MR PRIME MINISTER, PROPOSE A TOAST TO YOU, MRS SIDKI,
TO THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT AND TO THE CONTINUING FRIENDSHIP
BETWEEN THE PEOPLES OF AUSTRALIA AND EGYPT.
. t.