EMBARGOED UNTIL 8.3OPM/
PRIME MINISTER
SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER PARLIAMENTARY DINNER
FOR PRIME MINISTER OF BURMA -CANBERRA 2 APRIL 1984
Prime Minister U Maung Maung Kha,
Distinguished Visitors,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Mr Prime Minister welcome.
Australia and Burma are old friends. Since your
independence the ties between our countries have grown and
strengthened. The importance we attach to our bilateral relationship has
been reflected in the visits which have taken place between
leaders of both our countries.
The visit of President U Ne Win in 1974 gave a significant
impetus to our relationship, and your visit at this time,
ten years later, Mr Prime Minister, is a further important
development. On our side the visit to Burma by my distinguished
predecessor Gough Whitlam, the visit by the then Deputy
Prime Minister Doug Anthony in 1982, and the Foreign
Minister, Bill Hayden's visit to Burma last year, have all
contributed to stronger links and a closer understanding
between us.
On another level, Burmese students have been welcome guests
in our country for many years.
Those Australians who have visited Burma as tourists, aid
advisors, and business people, have found in your country
and its culture a serenity unknown in Western societies.
Through such contacts our prople get to know each other
better. I believe that we should work to strengthen such
contacts.
Only through these people to people contacts, can we be
confident of knowing and understanding each other properly.
Australia's involvement in the Asian region has for some
years been increasing. Indeed we see our future as being
closely bound up with that of the rest of the region.
Australia has great respect for Burma's strong, principled
stance on international issues and for your independent view
on the affairs of our region. Burma's moderate, measured
international posture does not obscure your importance in
the political and economic life of the South and South East
Asian region.
It is therefore fitting that we are able to welcome you Mr
Prime Minister and your colleagues to Australia tonight.
Mr Prime Minister,
Australia, as you know, is an aligned nation. We attach
great importance to our relations with the United States.
The ANZUS alliance is a fundamental plank in Australia's
general strategic posture.
Burma I have noted has had a long and deep commitment to the
foundational principles of the non-aligned movement. Your
concern at the departure from those principles by some
members of the movement led to your country's withdrawal
from the movement.
That decision by Burma reflected the very real importance
your country attaches to the maintenance of independence in
its foreign policy.
Australia shares a similar commitment to the maintenance of
an independent foreign policy.
In this regard I was particularly impressed, Mr Prime
Minister, during our meeting this afternoon, at the
coincidence of our views on Cambodia. We both are aware of
the dangers of isolating Vietnam. We also share a concern
about great power involvement in the region.
We both seek with our neighbours in the region ties of
friendship and goodwill so that peace and prosperity can be
strengthened. My Government will continue to pursue an independent and
self-respecting foreign policy, based like that of Burma on
a principled concern for peace and security.
My recent visit to regional countries convinced me of the
dynamic economic potential in our area. Intra-regional
trade is growing more rapidly than world trade as a whole.
3.
This regional inter-dependence, in both trade and commerce,
indicates quite clearly that countries of the region will
continue to benefit from each other's growth.
During our discussions this afternoon you outlined your
Government's plans to develop your natural resources.
Australia has developed competitive, efficient, world
standard expertise in ore extraction, concentration and
benefication, the transportation of ores, and the
establishment and management of mining projects.
Our private sector, which has considerable expertise in
mining, transportation infrastructure development, and in
the supply of equipment, can play a real part in helping you
to bring your plans in this area to fulfilment.
I am pleased that you will be seeing something of our
developments in mineral and offshore oil while you are here.
I am also pleased that a delegation from your Ministry of
for Mines will visit Australia later in the year to discuss
in greater detail how we might be able to help Burma's
development in these areas.
As we discussed this afternoon Australia proposes to
increase its aid to your country with an expanded program of
$ 46 million over the next three years.
This multi-year commitment will allow greater project
flexibility and could also include involvement in the
development of your minerals and mining sector.
As I said before, we are old friends. That friendship was
amply demonstrated in your gift of Burmese teak plywood to
the appeal for the victims of the appalling bush fires in
South East Australia in February of last year.
We thank you for that gift.
We were saddened to learn of the loss of life and property
occasioned by the partial destruction by fire of the
historic city of Mandalay. An Australian contribution to
relieve the burden of that disaster has already been made.
The prompt response that each country has made to disasters
afflicting the other evinces not only humanitarian sentiment
but the mutual regard that exists between our two peoples.
Mr Prime Minister, Distinguished quests
I look forward to the continued strengthening of relations
between our two countries.