PRIME MINISTER:
Well thank you very much. Firstly may I express on behalf of the Australian Government and people, condolences to the people of the United States for the very tragic loss of life in the tornadoes in Arkansas and Missouri and Mississippi and other parts of the south in the United States. I understand the death toll is a possible 37 and I do want on behalf of the Australian people to convey our sympathies to those left bereaved by the impact of these tornadoes.
Can I, on a brighter note, offer my congratulations if I can be permitted to do so as a very proud Australian Prime Minister who follows sport very closely, to Patrick Johnson becoming the first Australian to run the 100 metres in less than 10 seconds. He's a Torres Strait islander, a DFAT officer and a person who has brought great credit to our country and to his own ethnic background in that particular achievement
The Secretary General and I have had a very cordial meeting. I have a long association with the Secretary General. We worked together very closely in relation to East Timor. I admire his administrative skill and his commitment to the United Nations, and it's always a pleasure to see him and I welcome the opportunity. We canvassed four issues - Iraq firstly, East Timor, and then briefly we touched on Bougainville and also very briefly the question of United Nations reform. I indicated to the Secretary General that it was necessary for all of the countries of the United Nations to look forward in relation to the post-conflict period in Iraq, that there was very little to be gained, in fact nothing to be gained, by endeavouring to reargue the toss, as we say in Australia, the issue at all.
We have to all recognise the reality of the position in Iraq. There is a desire on the part of Australia, as part of the coalition, to see the restoration of basic services and great progress is being made already in relation to that. We want to see the affairs of Iraq handed back to the Iraqi people as soon as practicable. We want to see the emergence of a free and open Government which is responsive to the wishes of the people of Iraq, and I think all of the efforts of the world community should be directed towards that.
I expressed the view to the Secretary General that there was a very strong commitment on the part of the United States administration, although that administration is perfectly capable of articulating its position itself, but the United States does have a very strong commitment to working to try and achieve progress on a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, and I regard that as a source of real, but nonetheless cautious, optimism arising out of what has occurred in Iraq, and that all of the countries of the world should work towards achieving that particular outcome.
In relation to East Timor, we briefly discussed the security situation in that country, and the United Nations and Australia remain in very close partnership and dialogue in ensuring that the action taken to deliver political freedom and independence to the people of East Timor, and that that action is effectively transferred to a stable and increasingly prosperous and united independent country of East Timor, and both of us remain very committed to that.
We touched very briefly on the situation in Bougainville and I also took the opportunity of briefly explaining to the Secretary General some views I had expressed recently about United Nations reform.
I'm very happy to answer questions. I understand the format is for my colleague here to pick the questions, and I'm very happy to do that.
SHASH THAROOR (UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL):
Thank you Mr Prime Minister. Our tradition is to offer the first question to a representative of the United Nations Correspondents' Association. Edith Lederer of Associated Press.
JOURNALIST:
Good morning Prime Minister. On behalf of the United Nations Correspondents' Association, I'd like to welcome you to the United Nations. You have just met the President of the United States, you have spoken to the Secretary General. One of the major issues in this building is what role the United Nations will play in post-conflict Iraq, specifically whether the United Nations is going to have any kind of a political role possibly in putting together another conference like the Bonn conference for Afghanistan. I'd like to know your views on whether the United Nations is going to have any kind of a political role.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think the United Nations can have a very positive, a very constructive role. I think it's important that we all recognise the reality of what is occurring on the ground. I think it is important to recognise that the effective administering authority in Iraq is the coalition, but consistent with that there are, I believe, many roles that can be discharged by the United Nations. The United Nations is already playing a very effective role in relation to humanitarian assistance. All the mail I get is that that is very effective. There are areas in relation to human rights, there are areas in relation to the organisation when the times come of elections. The question of whether you have a Bonn type conference is something on which I, and I guess many others, have an open mind. I think you have to crawl before you walk in relation to starting to build the political processes of the country. I think what the Americans are doing in organising what they would call town hall meetings to talk about Iraq's political future, is very effective and very important. But as I said earlier, provided the post-conflict arrangements don't become an arena to debate again old arguments, then I think we can all make progress.
SHASH THAROOR:
Adberrahim Fouraka, Al Jazeera.
JOURNALIST:
You spoke about the Israeli-Arab conflict a little while ago. Australia is now involved in Iraq in many different ways. You're a long way from home, aren't you?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Australians are used to travelling.
JOURNALIST:
I mean you're a long way from home. The Middle East is not traditionally a place Australia has been involved in.
PRIME MINISTER:
Actually, historically that is not so. Through some of the twists and turns of history, this is not the first time Australian forces have been involved in that part of the world. In fact we were involved in that part of the world, what the Americans would call the last cavalry charge of World War I, was carried out by the Australian Lighthorse on Beersheeba. We were involved there, and we were involved in Syria and other parts of the Middle East in World War II. We've had peacekeepers in Gaza Strip, and so it's not a first but we take a very strong view that dealing with the twin challenges of rogue states and weapons of mass destruction is a worldwide responsibility, and we got involved in Iraq for good and proper reasons and we don't resile in any way from that commitment.
JOURNALIST:
Louise Dodson from The Age. Mr Howard, is your position on the role of the UN in Iraq any different at all from that of the US?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well my role is to articulate the policy of the Australian Government, not to make commentary on how much it diverges from the position of the United States or any other country. We don't articulate or define our foreign policy by reference to the foreign policy of another country. I have explained my view on the United Nations. The most important thing now is for everybody to be realistic. The military operation in Iraq has concluded effectively. The administration of the country is in the hands of the coalition, and overwhelmingly of course within the coalition, the United States. And provided there is a recognition of that and there is not an attempt to sort of redebate the whole issue of Iraq to the wrongs of it, I think everybody can move forward in a very practical and sensible way. Now, it's for other countries to say what their position is. That is our position and other people can make judgements as to whether it's the same as or slightly different from the position of another country.
SHASH THAROOR:
BBC, Greg Barrow.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, you're two months into this military intervention and so far not a scrap of evidence about weapons of mass destruction. Is there a useful role for Hans Blix and UNMOVIC?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think that's a question that has got to be worked out by the Security Council and the United States. I mean, we're not a member of the Security Council, where as the other acting members of the coalition, both of them are - that's the United States and the United Kingdom. I believe that the evidence will be found.
JOURNALIST:
Dennis Shanahan of the Australian, Mr Howard. In relation to East Timor, did you discuss with the Secretary General any sort of timetable for the withdrawal of Australian peacekeepers in East Timor?
PRIME MINISTER:
There's a broad timetable laid down already and we didn't alter that and we didn't dwell greatly on it. It was assumed as part of our discussion that that timetable would essentially be adhered to. Both of us are very keen that the security situation in East Timor not only be maintained, but be improved. There is a big role of course for policing rather than military presence in relation to internal security, and it is fundamentally not the role of peacekeepers to maintain ordinary internal security.
JOURNALIST:
Dennis Grant, SBS. Did Mr Annan express any concern about the decision to withdraw the Australian peace monitors in Bougainville?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
What was the substance then of your discussion on Bougainville?
PRIME MINISTER:
I expressed some concern about the process attitude being taken by the UN representative concerning the certification of disarmament.
JOURNALIST:
Robert Holloway from Agence France Press. On the question of Security Council reform, most advocates of Council reform favour enlarging it to make it more representative. In your interview with The Bulletin, you talked about taking five of the current ten elected seats and giving them on a permanent basis without the veto to Germany, Japan, India...
PRIME MINISTER:
I have a bit of an illustrative list.
JOURNALIST:
What about the specific examples there, so much as the fact that the list that you suggested would instead of making the Council more representative, make it concentrate decision making in the hands of a number of rich and/or large countries. Could you elaborate on the view of the United Nations that you would like to see? You said the UN has been weakened by Iraq.
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes.
JOURNALIST:
How would you like to see it strengthened in the future?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't think the strengthening of the Security Council in relation to its performance on Iraq is necessarily the same issue as Security Council reform. I think the United Nations and Security Council reform is a separate issue. I mean my criticism of the Security Council in relation to Iraq was based upon what in my view is a failure of the Security Council collectively to match the aspirations and the demands of its previous resolutions. Now that's not something that you're going to really alter by continuing to talk about reform. The reality is that countries that are now permanent members and having vetos are not going to acquiesce in any alteration of that, and the context of The Bulletin interview was that if you were to move towards some kind of reform, you might in effect create three groupings within the existing size Security Council. I'm not in favour of enlarging the Security Council. I do think that if you were to have additional veto wielding nations on the Security Council, then obviously a nation like Japan would be a country that ought to be considered. But absent that, the proposal that I canvassed was to have, as you rightly say, the existing permanent members and then five - I used some illustrations to draw countries from Asia, from South America and I think also desirably you might consider one from Africa - and I think that would be a realistic appreciation of the representation that ought to be on the Security Council. But can I just inject in that against myself a proper note of realism. I don't think we're going to have dramatic reform in these areas over the next few years.
SHASH THAROOR:
Felicity Barringer, New York Times.
JOURNALIST:
Yes. Mr Howard, the United States Government, the Bush Administration, has been pushing the UN for a couple of weeks now to appoint a special coordinator in Iraq, and it obviously hasn't happened yet, so one can infer some resistance here. What is the difference between the two positions? How much does the Bush Administration want to limit the role in the brief of a special coordinator?
PRIME MINISTER:
Special coordinator from where?
JOURNALIST:
From the UN.
PRIME MINISTER:
The UN?
JOURNALIST:
From the United Nations.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
JOURNALIST:
Yes. How would the Administration like to see that brief limited? How would the UN like to see it expanded, and what is Australia's position?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'll tell you what Australia's position is, and the UN can tell you what their position is and the US their position. Our view is that there would be a lot of merit in having a special representative or coordinator, however you might describe he or her, from the United Nations. I think that would be a very good development, and if there's a... it's a role for obviously a talented person from the UN. I discussed that briefly with the Secretary General, and I think it would be a very good thing. I think the purpose of that would be to, as the suggested coordinator conjures up, that is coordinating not only the United Nations' effort in relation to Iraq, but also cooperation between the United Nations and the administering authority in Iraq.
JOURNALIST:
Richard Arnold, Southern Cross Broadcasting, Australia. Mr Howard, did you discuss today the state of the effort to end the Iraq sanctions?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, that was part of it. I mean I have the view that, I mean now that the regime is gone and self evidently weapons of mass destruction are not going to be used in a nefarious way, the rationale, the raison d'ˆtre for the sanctions has disappeared. And I think people should bring a practical application of that understanding to any resolution which will come before the Security Council.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, Greg Turnbull from Channel 10 Australia. On the matter of David Hicks, it has been reported here that David Hicks - one of the two Australians being held without charge, trial or legal representation in Guantanamo Bay - may be about to be repatriated to Australia. I know that matter is in the hands of your Attorney General. Have you any update from the Attorney General on that matter in the light of those reports?
PRIME MINISTER:
I haven't had any information from anybody suggesting that what you said is going to occur.
JOURNALIST:
Mark Riley, Sydney Morning Herald. A poll of 1,400 Australians to be published tomorrow finds that 76 per cent believe the Governor General should resign. Should he resign?
PRIME MINISTER:
I was asked a question about this yesterday and I gave an answer, and I see no reason to vary that answer.
SHASH THAROOR:
Bloomberg.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, what is Australia prepared to contribute in terms of troops or financial resources or expertise in any way to rebuilding Iraq?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we have already made a very significant financial commitment. I think it's about the sixth or seventh largest of what has been committed, and at this stage larger than the commitment of quite a number of countries that have, let us say brought a different perspective to this issue than has been brought by Australia and other members of the coalition. And I repeated our commitment to the Secretary General, our commitment to the flash appeal and our commitment to other humanitarian assistance. During the transitional phase, we will be leaving something in the order of 1,000 to 1,200 defence personnel in the area. Just how long they will stay there will be a matter for us to assess from time to time. We've indicated all along that we would not be in a position to maintain, if we were to commit forces to an operation against Iraq, we wouldn't be in a position to maintain after that operation concluded, a significant number of peacekeepers. That is understood by the United States. That was discussed between myself and President Bush again when I was at Crawford a couple of days ago, and it has always been our position. We made it clear from the very beginning that if we were to make a military contribution, it will be a military contribution during the conflict phase and we have done that, and they have done our country very proud in the work that they have done and the high skill and professionalism they have brought to their contribution.
JOURNALIST:
The 1,000 to 1,200 - where are they?
PRIME MINISTER:
They've been there actually for a couple of months.
JOURNALIST:
Where?
PRIME MINISTER:
Where? In the general area of Iraq.
JOURNALIST:
Mark Turner from the Financial Times. In the run up to the debate over Iraq there has been a lot made of a trans-Atlantic split, a sort of divergence of view or not between the Europe and the US. I'm wondering from Australia's perspective, whether you find that there is a danger at the moment that countries like your own are going to have to make some fundamental strategic decision whether to ally with the US or with Europe, or perhaps go with a sort of Anglo-Saxon bloc as some have suggested?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Australia has linkages and alliances with many countries. We have a very close relationship with the United States, and that has certainly been reinforced and strengthened and further invigorated in recent months. And we also of course have very important and enduring linkages with the nations of Asia, and I certainly don't see Australia becoming part of some Anglosphere. I see Australia as a country that will have very close and always have very close relations with the nations of Europe and particularly, but not only, the United Kingdom and Ireland of course have shared history, but also many other nations in Europe. But very importantly we have enormously important relationships with countries of Asia. Our best customer remains Japan. Of all the countries we trade with, over the past five years there has probably been a greater quantum change in our trade with China than any other nation. And of course we have very close and important linkages with Indonesia. I have never seen Australian foreign policy in terms of making what you call fundamental decisions, choosing. You should never get yourself forced into choosing between your history and your geography. Australia in a way occupies quite a unique intersection of culture, history and geography. We are a nation of western European roots. We have a very strong linkage and association with the United States, but we also have very important linkages with and a very important future invested in with the countries of our region. So I am not into putting Australia into particular spheres - Anglo or otherwise - nor am I into making a choice. As to trans-Atlantic relationships, well that really is a matter for the Atlantic powers, of which Australia is not one. I would make one simple observation, and that is that I think there has been a little too much of a tendency to oversimplify the divisions that have occurred in Europe on the issue of Iraq. I'll leave it to the Europeans to sort that out. I haven't come here to offer gratuitous advice to the nations of Europe.
SHASH THAROOR:
Final question from the lady here.
JOURNALIST:
Leigh Sales from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
PRIME MINISTER:
Would you mind speaking up Leigh?
JOURNALIST:
Sure. The Bush Administration says it won't offer any inducements to North Korea to end its nuclear weapons programme. South Korea and Japan want negotiations to continue. Can you explain where Australia stands on that, and you said yesterday that you think you're optimistic about a diplomatic outcome. What sort of an outcome do you think is feasible?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it's very important to see this as an issue not just for the United States to resolve with North Korea. There are important responsibilities carried in relation to this issue by China, by Japan and by South Korea. And we of course, whilst we don't have quite the same because of the geography, the same responsibility and involvement as those countries, we have a very big interest in it because it's part of our region. And I'm certain that the outcome of the operation in Iraq has had a beneficial impact on the prospects of the matter being resolved in a sensible way.
SHASH THAROOR:
Thank you Mr Prime Minister. Thank you ladies and gentlemen.
[ends]