PRIME MINISTER
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED UNTIL, DELIVERY
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
RECEPTION AT THE GERMAN EMBASSY
ON THE OCCASION OF
THE UNIFICATION OF GERMANY
CANBERRA, 3 OCTOBER 1990
I am sure I speak f or all Australians when I express my
congratulations to you, Ambassador, and through you to the
people of Ger-many, on their grand achievement of
unification. As I said recently in Parliament, the Government of
Australia unequivocally welcomes this historic event an
achievement -the German people have built in jubilation,
optimism and above all in a spirit of peacefulness.
Less than a year ago we witnessed those unforgettable
television reports of ordinary German people rebelling
against the artificial division of their country, and by
sheer force -of popular demand bringing down at last that
bleak symbol of post-war division, the Berlin Wall.
Since then we have seen the dismantling of Checkpoint
Charlie and the free movement of people between East and
West Germany. Only last month the four occupying powers
agreed to relinquish their war-time rights, paving the way
for today's creation of a united, sovereign Germany.
A few hours ago at 12 midnight in Berlin the hope of
unification became a reality.
So we are witnessing today a landmark event in the political
history of the Twentieth Century.
The breathtaking speed and effectiveness of the process of
unification was made possible by the spirit of co-operation
and trust displayed by all the countries involved.
I congratulate all those leaders and Governments on the high
sense of responsibility they have demonstrated.
I have writt~ en to my friend, Chancellor Kohl, and to
Prime Minist~ er de Maiziere, passing on Australia's
congratulations and assuring them of our desire for close
and productive relations between Australia and the new
Germany.
2.
And I welcome the assurance I received only today by letter
from Chancellor Kohl that through its regained national
unity, Germany wants to serve the cause of global peace and
advance the unification of Europe at the same time as it
will stand by the moral and legal obligations resulting from
German history.
In the new post-cold war era ushered in by the unification
of Germany, the world will look to Germany and to Europe to
play a new leadership role in making the world peaceful and
prosperous. For example, the world will be looking to
Germany, and to Europe, to show leadership in the reform of
world trade in the Uruguay Round.
Over the weekend, Berlin hosted a marathon whose course
covered both sides of the Brandenburg Gate.
You can understand our pride that the Berlin marathon was
won by an Australian, Steve Moneghetti, in his personal best
time and in the fastest speed recorded in the world this
year. Just as the hosting of the marathon is a symbol and a proof
of the unification of Germany, so may Moneghetti's victory
be an auspicious omen of the ties between Australia and the
new Germany ties that we want to see strengthened,
deepened and enriched in the future.