E&OE...........
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
Well ladies and gentlemen, the Prime Minister of Thailand Dr Thaksin and I have had, along with our ministerial colleagues, a very effective and fruitful discussions and I have a number of announcements to make of things that we have agreed on. I would first however like to as I will at lunch welcome the Prime Minister or Thailand. This is the first visit to Australia by a Thai Prime Minister since 1989 and he comes as a very welcome guest to our country. We have a long association. We appreciate very much the very decisive and constructive role that Thailand played at the time of the Interfet deployment in East Timor. We pay tribute to the people to people links. The growing popularity of course over long years of Thailand as a tourist destination for many Australians and I believe that the things that we have agreed on today will further enhance that very close association.
We have agreed to negotiate a closer economic relationship agreement and I';ve described this with the Prime Minister';s approval as a free trade agreement plus and we hope to reach agreement on individual sectors and then announce those agreements rather than leaving it all to a conclusion of the total negotiation. I think that is a very important step forward in further strengthening the relationship. We';ve also agreed to negotiate a memorandum of understanding on terrorism similar to the understandings that have been negotiated in relation to, it involved sharing of intelligence and the like in relation to those activities and similar to what was done in respect of Indonesia, and to further enhance exchanges in relation to law enforcement.
Two other issues that we will commission an examination of. One of them is the introduction of a working visa arrangement between Australia and Thailand. This is particularly designed to enhance the exchanges of young people between our two societies. It already occurs and we';d like to see a good deal more of it. And we';ve also responded very positively to a proposal to join Thailand and others in a crop substitution program in Burma as part of the campaign against drugs. It';s conceptually a very positive thing. We obviously need to work out the details of it but as the Australian people and many others will know that the main source of heroin and other drugs coming into Australia is from Burma and anything that can be done in that area is something that I know all Australians would applaud and support. And we also agreed importantly to examine ways of further increasing our educational exchanges. So overall it';s been a very productive morning and I think the things that we';ve talked about are indicative of the determination of Dr Thaksin and myself to push the relationship forward into new areas. There';s a relaxed friendliness about Australia';s relationship with Thailand and we want to take advantage of that and to push it forward.
PRIME MINISTER THASKIN
I';m very pleased to be in Australia. Although the last official visit of Thai Prime Minister to Australia took place about 12 to 13 years ago it doesn';t mean that the cooperation between our two countries also took a break. I wish to mention our Interfet peacekeeping operation under Australia';s leadership, where Thailand deployed her biggest troops abroad is evidence of our close cooperation. And today even after the Democratic Republic of East Timor has received her independence Australia and Thailand stand united to help in the re-construction of East Timor. Furthermore during the economic crisis of 1997 when Thailand was hard hit by the (inaudible) crisis. Australia was the first country to offer assistance value at US $1billion. And this morning we had a very good discussion, very fruitful, very relaxed [inaudible] and we came up with all the agreement that we agree on issues that Prime Minister Howard mentioned to you.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] about the working visa? Is that mainly for young people? Is it capped at twenty five [inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
Well we haven';t got that far but you';re aware that the working visa concept applies with a number of other countries. Obviously it has to be introduced in a way that has on both sides appropriate checks and balances. But it';s a way of encouraging more exchanges particularly amongst young people. At this stage we haven';t fixed on an age limit and there are obviously a number of things to be worked through but the concept of it is appealing to both of us and we want to push it forward.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] closer economic relations agreement. Will it be modelled on the New Zealand agreement….?
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
I';d be very happy if it were.
JOURNALIST:
What benefits would come from it?
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
Well I think there';d be benefits. Whenever you remove trade barriers in the whole area…I mean the importance of it being called a closer economic relationship is that it';s more than just a free trade agreement. It';s a broader thing. It includes things like services. Now I';m not pretending that there won';t be areas where we won';t run into problems but what the Prime Minister and I have agreed to is that as we reach agreement in individual sectors then we';ll announce that agreement. We won';t wait until every single thing that';s on the table has either been agreed or it';s been pushed right off the table. If you do that that';s a recipe for doing nothing and we would like where we can reach agreement to announce that and where we haven';t well we move onto something else. And importantly everything will be on the table but it should be recognised that in some areas we';ll obviously not reach agreement.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible], how soon do you expect the agreement could be…..?
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
Well we will start straight away and so far as the Prime Minister and I are concerned we said only half in jest three months.
JOURNALIST:
In relation to the drug problems in Burma there were some suggestions that Maung Aye in Burma would agree to Thai troops and police being able to operate along the border, even on the Burmese side, in relation to Wei Xuekang and the United Wa State Army. Was that a misunderstanding or has there been some tensions between Maung Aye and [inaudible] in relation to that problem?
PRIME MINISTER THASKIN
Well I hope there is no misunderstanding among the SPDC members. But that rumour has been spread before the situation at the border happens. Actually Muang and I agreed that we will cooperate each other on the drugs impression in the area of Red Wa and Muang agreed that he will close the trading firms that are doing the drug trade in Thailand. That is the company names Ompungs (*phonetic) and also he will pressure the production of the narcotics in that area and he did that. He is way committed on what he agreed but we never asked to violate the sovereignty of Myanmar, we never asked that kind of question, request for that kind of things. And the situation in the borders because of the conflicts between the minorities but it happened that to effect the troops of Myanmar, that';s the problem that created a little bit of misunderstanding. But now the Government to Government level, there';s no problems of conflicts.
JOURNALIST:
Could you tell us what you think Thailand may gain from the free trade agreement, in which sectors in particular do you think it will benefit?
PRIME MINISTER THASKIN:
We…considerable mutual benefit, not just Thailand';s benefit, its mutual benefit. If we can increase trade volume among two countries, this means that you will have more investment, more employment, you know more economic activities in each country. So we need to increase trade forum between our two countries. So I think it will benefit both of us.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, can we ask you another question about medical indemnity? Peter Lindsay, this morning has said the Government is going to extend the guarantee by three months, can you confirm that?
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
Well I don';t know the basis of his statement. And I don';t have anything to add.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
No I can';t, I';m not confirming anything. I will be having something to say on this issue soon, not today, not today. But I will be having something to say on it soon and it will be constructive and sensible and supportive. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
I don';t know Mr Balding. I don';t think I';ve ever met him. I wish him well and as far as I';m concerned the Government will work constructively with him and with the ABC but I really can';t express a personal view on him. He obviously has the confidence of the board and the board has the power to appoint the managing director. I wish him well. The ABC is a very important public institution in this country and it';s important that it have a good managing director, and it';s important that it fulfil it';s charter in every way based in relation to the diversity and quality of programs and also the balance with which it treats subjects over time. And I…if Mr Balding discharges those obligations of managing director well he';ll continue to have the strong support and confidence of the Government. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible] MOU on terrorism…
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
I think what [inaudible] the Prime Minister may wish to say something about that.
PRIME MINISTER THASKIN:
We agree on the…in the concept, in the principle and we will have to discuss only the detail that we';ll cover on terrorism. That is for example – the (inaudible)of intelligence, the co-operation of the trans-national - the arrest of the trans-national criminals or something. You know that';s going to be discussed in detail.
JOURNALIST:
Could it include tighter visa entry requirements in Thailand, in certain countries, including in the Middle East?
PRIME MINISTER THASKIN:
Well, the detail will be discussed later.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]