K
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. J. KEATING MP
DOORSTOP. TEMPLE OF LITERATURE, HANOI, SUNDAY, 10 APRIL 1904
E& OE PROOF COPY
J: Prime Minister, how does it feel to be the first Australian Prime Minister to
come to Hanoi?
PM: One feels the obvious senme of occasion and history of it and it is at an
Important time in the histoy of Australia and Vietnam, particularly in
Vietnam's development. I feel the poignancy of coming here, the first
Australian Prime Minister in God knows how long and to sum wh~ at's
happening here and to be relevant to Vietnam's development.
J: What do you think you will achieve out of this visit to Hanoi Mr Keating?
PM: I think we will get a chance to understand what aspirations the
Goyemnment of Vietnam has for the country; how It is proceeding with its
development; Its view of Australia's role here, the Possibilities of Australia
playing an even larger role in the development of Vietnam and also the
view of the Government of Vietnam's role in the region and the chance for
us, me in this case, to talk to the Government about how we see the
region developing and what rale we think we should be playing in it.
J: Is it your anticipation that there will be a meeting with the General
Secretary Do Muoi?
PM: I think we have one scheduled.
J: Prime Minister, people like Tim F ' ischer are saying that you should alter
your schedule to have some sort of commemorative service for the
Vietnam veterans.
PM: I don't discriminate in Australia's commemoration of our war dead, that is
why in ' Kanchanaburi ' at the appropriate time I mentioned those
Australians who died in Vietnam, but when we enquired of our Embassy
what particular focus or point that one might attend or visit, they said that
there wasn't any obvious place because Australia took its war dead home,
there is no cemetery here. So, I can only repeat what I said when our
Vietnam veterans were appropriately honoured in Canberra a year or so
ago that they died with the same faith In Australia and the same belief in
our values as every other service person did in other theatres of war. But
2
again, this in Hanoi and really in the places I am visiting there is no
natural opportunity as there was in Thailand.
J: Do you accept that the Vietnamese might feel that the kinds of acts that
were perpetrated against them were in some way equivalent to the kinds
of things that were done by the Japanese to Australian soldiers in World
War II?
PM: That is for them to know really, but for us to discern. I don't know whether
they feel that or whether they want to put the war behind them. We are
here to help them to develop their country as best we can and to put that
history behind us.
J: Do you have anything to say to the Vietnamese leadership about
Australia's role in the war here?
PM: Not particularly. I don't think they are looking for any acknowledgment by
me of our role here. I saw Prime Minister Kiet in Australia, he made no
such references there and I don't see there is any particular point to make
them now.
J: I have only one question, Australia is now paying much attention to Asia.
Do you bring any message from Australian businessmen to Vietnam this
time?
PM: We see Vietnam having a great opportunity in the countries of Asia to
grow and develop itself and Australia believes it can make a contribution,
It can make a difference in all sorts of ways In our aid program, in
education, in social policies and in commerce and we will be represented
in this country on a very broad basis.
J: Would you like some reciprocal gains like increased aviation rights?
PM: Not at this stage. I am not here in a sense in a bartering role, it is a
general discussion about where our economies are going.
J: Prime Minister, there seems to be large numbers of foreign delegations
passing through Vietnam at the moment, can Australia realistically lay
claim to a special relationship here?
PM: There are very few special relationships in the world anywhere. You have
got to earn your freight, each country has to do that with the other. We
were amongst thle first to give aid to Vietnam after the Cambqdian Accords
were signed. When it most needed support, I think, we were the first to
give it and we are still giving it and we can give a lot more and make a
greater contribution than we have already been permitted to make. Thank
you.
ends