PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE
LIMA, PERU
APRIL 1975
PRIME MINISTER: The Prime Minister, General Morales Bermudez
and I will issue a statement to the press on Sunday morning
that will include many of the things, most of the things, that
we discussed yesterday and which some others of his ministers
have discussed yesterday and today. In view of this I suppose
there are some matters which you would like to ask me in
anticipation. QUESTION: Could you give us details of the purchase of the
Nomad aircraft. Has that been finalised?
PRIME MINISTER: No agreement has been made for the sale of the
Nomad to the Peruvian armed forces. Nevertheless there have
been some discussion proceeding for some weeks past. I believe
that the choice is between the Nomad and one other aircraft.
We were gratified that the President himself, General Juan Velasco
Alvaradro, asked about the Australian aircraft industry and of
course of the Prime Minister himself and several of
his ministers are interested in the aircraft. The characteristics
and performance of the Nomad were discussed, in general terms.
But Mr Bowen and I were not here to conclude specific arrangements
of a technical nature such as that.
QUESTION: Did you discuss with the President the alleged subversive
elements here and the CIA?
PRIME MINISTER: I make it a practice not to reveal what is said
in private conversations of this character. There were only the
President and I together there and so I wouldn't identify subjects
or details.
QUESTION: I wonder Mr Prime Minister if you could go into a little
more detail as to the characteristics of the Nomad built-by the state
plant in Australia and secondly, could you tell us whether you
have conversed with the Peruvian authorities on the question of
your becoming a member of the CIPEC group?
PRIME MINISTER: First the Nomad. We believe the relevance of the
Nomad to Peru and to neighbouring countries is the fact that it can
operate from quite short airstrips. In fact it can operate from
airstrips which are not sealed. It is a very sturdy, and rugged
aircraft which can carry freight as well as people and it can do
so from short and relatively unformed airstrips which one finds
in such a mountainous country as Peru or the neighbouring countries.
It has, we think, a very good performance in those difficult and
testing conditions. It could supply isolated centres very well.
You also asked about CIPEC, the organisation of Copper Exporting
Countries, of which the present members are Chile, Peru, Zaire
and Zambia. Australia is an observer at conferences of the CIPEC
countries, and the suggestion was made by the Peruvian ministers
yesterday that Australia and Papua New Guinea and the Philippines
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might also become full members of CIPEC. This suggestion had not
previously been made to Australia by any of the present members
of CIPEC. It was an interesting suggestion as far as we are
concerned and I'm sure we woul . d give it very sympathetic consideration.
It accords with our general attitude that countries which depend
on the sale of minerals should have a more secure and predictable
market than they have hitherto been able to enjoy. Australia,
like Peru, is a very large mineral exporting country. We have,
like Peru, had greatly fluctuating incomes from our exports.
We want to see that those incomes are more predictable. Also we
want to see that industries in our own countries are based
increasingly on those mineral resources.
QUESTION: A large number of American states have moved to
establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. When do you expect
Australia itself to make such a move and will this be one of the
topics of discussion when you visit Washington?
PRIME MINISTER: Last year Australia received a Consulate from
Cuba. Cuba had made the request to the previous Australian
government which had not responded. My Government did respond
and allowed the Consulate to be established. I think it unlikely
that any diplomatic relations between Cuba would be discussed
in Washington. Naturally, however, while in Peru, I was anxious
to know the assessment of Peru of-the likelihood of Cuba being
re-admitted to the Organisation of American States and any
commercial embargoes against Cuba being lifted. Obviously
Australia's attitude in this matter which is not of the highest
pri ' ority as far as Australia is concerned would be very much
influenced by the attitude of the O. A. S.
QUESTION: Peru and other nations of the copper group have recently
cut back on copper productions in an attempt to get an increase
on the current low world price. Would Australia consider doing
the same to assist these countries in getting a higher price?
PRIME MINISTER: Like. all the copper exporting countries Australia
has suffered from the drop in prices. The CIPEC countries
reduced their exports by 15 per cent in quantity. Australia has
reduced hers by 10 per cent.
QUESTION: I wonder MR Prime Minister whether you intend to sign
any important agreements with the Peruvian Government in the
field of technical and economic co-operation?
PRIME MINISTER: On Sunday morning the Prime Minister and I will
be signing an agreement for an inter-governmental joint commission
in several fields including the particular fields of scientific
co-operation ; you mentioned.
QUESTION: You are the second foreign leader to meet with President
Velasco since February. I would like to know whether he discussed
his health with you and what your assessment was of the President's
health?
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PRIME MINISTER: I wouldn't presume to express an opinion about
the health of President Juan Valasco Alvarado. He seemed to me
to be in robust good health and excellent spirits.
QUESTION: What prospects do you see for Australia gaining observer
status at the next conference of the non-aligned movement. And
secondly if I may are we seeking full membership?
PRIME MINISTER: Membership of the non-aligned group has not been
sought by Australia, nor offered to Australia. There are a great
number of members of the non-aligned group in Australia's
neighbourhood, in fact most of Australia's neighbours are members
of the group. In those circumstances it seems to the Australian
Government that it would be appropriate for Australia to have
observer status at the meetings of the group. Accordingly I have
discussed this when I have had conversations with Heads of
Government of prominent members of the group, such as Sri Lanka,
India, Yugoslavia and now Peru. The group is increasingly
interested in economic matters. The Australian Government's
attitude on economic matters in various international forums has
aroused a great deal of interest And support among members of
the group. Australia already has observer status in many bodies
to which Peru belongs. I have mentioned CIPEC already, there is
in addition O. A. S. and the members of the Andean pact, the
Acuerdo de Cartegna.
QUESTION: Observer status is quite often the first step to full
membership. Is full membership of the non-aligned group a longterm
aim of the Australian Government. And also if there was
a strong feeling among that group that they would like to see
you as a full member, would that influence you?
PRIME MINISTER: I have seen no inclination in the countries that
I have mentioned or in any other countries, to offer full membership
to Australia. Australia is in fact an aligned country because there
is an arrangement between Australia, New Zealand and the United
States arising from their association in the Second World War.
Accordingly it wouldn't be appropriate in the present circumstances,
or those that are contemplated, for Australia to seek full
membership. QUESTION: What do you see as the most important development to come
out of this visit, the first of an Australian Prime Minister to a
South American country?
PRIME MINISTER: I believer there is an awareness in Peru of the
relevance of Australia to Peru's interests and aspirations in a
very great number of fields. Very clearly after the direct
discussions between Mr Bowen and me on one side, and the Peruvian
ministers it is realised that the whole question of the exploration
and the development and the marketing of our mineral resources is
something that we can do very much better in consultation and
co-operation with each other than we could at a distance from each
other. Moreover there are a great number of diplomatic matters
in which we have shown an identity of interests. We were through
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1973 and 1974 members of the United Nations Security Council.
Australia adopted an attitude at the UNIDO Conference in Lima
which was appreciated by the less developed countries. Peru and
Australia were very conscious of the hazards of the environment
of the Pacific through the atmospheric nuclear tests. For
centuries Australia and Peru, in so far as they've thought
about each other at all, have regarded the Pacific as a barrier
rather than a link. I can't say that Australians have been
sufficiently aware of Peru: I don't believe that Peruvians
have been sufficiently aware of Australia. We have during these
days set out to correct this mutual indifference or ignorance.
After all it was from Callalo, half a dozen miles from here that
navigators set out to cross the Pacific to discover the great
South land. There has never been a Peruvian minister visit
Australia. Until Senator Willesee, the Australian Foreign Minister,
came to Peru last year there had never been an Australian minister
visit Peru. There was an Australian Prime Minister born in
South American, John Christian Watson, the first Labor Prime
Minister, but there had never been an Australian Prime Minister
visit South America. So we are redressing this situation.
The Prime Minister, General Francisco Morales Bermudez, has
accepted by invitation to visit Australia at a time which is
mutually convenient to us.
QUESTION: Prime Minister, you said that you had no information
or had received no information from countries on joining the
group. At a Press Conference with the Peruvian Foreign Minister
this afternoon, he pointed out that he would be happy to support
Australia, and gave us the example of Cyprus which was also an
aligned country. In view of this would you reconsider any
point in Australia becoming a member of the group?
PRIME MINISTER: I've got nothing to add to what I have said
previously to this. Most of the countries in the non-aligned
group regard Australia's alignment as disqualifying it.