U.S. – Australia Relations

[Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith] Interview - Sky News

New York — 23 January 2008

23 January 2008
Subject: Visit to USA

NEWSREADER:

The Foreign Minister Stephen Smith is in New York for meetings at the United Nations and also talks with his United States counterpart, Condoleezza Rice. And joining us now from Canberra is Sky chief political reporter, Kieran Gilbert.

Now, Kieran since the Rudd Government was elected, this would have to be the Foreign Minister's first visit to the United States wouldn't it?

REPORTER:

John, good morning again. Yes, the first visit by a senior member of the Rudd administration to Washington. Stephen Smith's first visit to the United States as Foreign Minister. He's there, as you quite rightly point out, for talks with his counterpart, the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, also for talks at the United Nations and I believe he's just wrapped up a meeting with the UN Deputy Secretary-General. Mr Smith joins us now on the phone from Manhattan.

Stephen Smith, thanks for your time this morning. What was included in your talks with the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General?

STEPHEN SMITH:

We spoke about the need for reform of the United Nations including reform of the permanent members of the Security Council and I articulated the new Labor Government's view that under reform of the United Nations, countries like Japan and India should form part of the permanent membership of a reformed Security Council.

We also spoke about some of the things that the United Nations and Australia have joint interests in, for example, East Timor and Afghanistan.

But the key, if you like, to the first meeting was to underline the point that the new Labor Government has a view that we want to play a greater role in the United Nations and we believe the United Nations should be much better supported by member states to be playing a greater role in global affairs.

REPORTER:

And Mr Smith, does that include lobbying for a position as one of the temporary members of the Security Council?

STEPHEN SMITH:

Well I did make the point in passing that of course Australia does have from time to time aspirations to be one of the temporary members of the Security Council. It's been a while since we were in that membership. We believe that reform of the Security Council is important. And I made the point, as I said earlier, that in our view permanent membership of the Security Council doesn't reflect the world as it is now, it reflects the world post World War II. But I also made the point that Australia does have aspirations to be one of the members of the Security Council in that temporary role.

REPORTER:

We spoke to your opposite number, Andrew Robb this morning. He says that the Howard/Bush relationship has placed the alliance in a very, very strong position.

The opinion of Australia in Washington is very, very strong at the moment. It's not a bad lead-in for you is it, and the Rudd administration?

STEPHEN SMITH:

Well one of the reasons I've come to the United States as my first overseas visit in my own right is that I can make, in the course of this trip, points about those three pillars that I spoke about to the United Nations.

Before I had the meeting with the Deputy Secretary-General, I visited our UN mission and thanked the staff and the agencies there for their good work.

But later, in a couple of days I am off to Washington to underline the point that the alliance between Australia and the United States is not a passing thing or a party thing. The alliance is supported by Republicans and Democrats in the United States and is supported by Labor and Liberal in Australia.

The basis of the alliance, of course, was effected by Labor Prime Minister John Curtin in the course of World War II, so it is one of our fundamental pillars and the relationship between the two nations is strong.

I'll be meeting my counterpart Condoleezza Rice early next week, Australia time. But the telephone conversation that I had with Condoleezza Rice in the very early days of becoming foreign minister was very warm and very friendly and I'm looking forward to a personally good relationship and a productive one so far as Australia and the United States is concerned.

REPORTER:

It could be the Democrats in the White House within a year. Will you have the chance to meet with senior Democrats - I know they're obviously busy on their campaign trail at the moment in the primary race - but have you got anything scheduled in for your diary on that front?

STEPHEN SMITH:

Well I am seeing some members of the Congress, but the reality is that people who might form part of a Democratic administration, if in the end a Democrat candidate wins the presidency in about a year's time, are effectively on the campaign trail.

So, the purpose of the visit is to make the point that our alliance with the United States transcends Labor or Liberal, Democrat or Republican. In making contact with the current administration, there is effectively 12 months to go.

We already have – in terms of the contact we've had – a very good relationship with the current administration and I expect that that will continue whenever a new administration takes over, whether that is Democrat, which on the basis of anticipation seems more likely than not, or whether that's a new Republican administration either.

REPORTER:

Just finally, Stephen Smith, before I let you go, you're off to Tokyo next week. Of course we know the tensions that have being about in recent times. There are suggestions that you're going to push the anti-whaling message. Given the way that things have transpired in recent weeks, isn't it better to ease up a bit on that front and try and smooth over the tensions a bit?

STEPHEN SMITH:

Well I'm going to Japan and going to Tokyo because again it sends a signal that Japan is very important to Australia. We have a very warm and friendly, long-standing and enduring relationship with Japan.

It also makes the point about the three pillars that I spoke about. The first trip I took was, of course, with the Prime Minister when we went to Indonesia and Bali and that makes a point about the Asia-Pacific region and going to Japan also does that. But Japan is one of our key friends in the Asia-Pacific region and one of our key relationships.

I spoke late last year with my counterpart, Foreign Minister Koumura, and we both agreed that such was the nature of the strong relationship and the depth of the relationship between Australia and Japan, we could agree to disagree about the whaling issue. I think one of the reasons that we can put such a strong view about whaling and have a disagreement is the depth and breadth and the fundamental nature and basis of that relationship.

So yes, of course, whaling will come up. I don't expect that there will be any difference of the views expressed. Foreign Minister Koumura and I and Australia and Japan have, to date, agreed to disagree about the issue.

But that won't get in the way of the fundamentals of that relationship based as it is on longstanding friendship, very important economic and trade relationships, but also more recently, very significant strategic and security relationships, not just between Australia and Japan but also tripartite between Australia, Japan and the United States. We saw towards the end of last year the tripartite discussions occurring at officer level, important conversations between Japan, Australia and the United States.

So yes, of course whaling will come up, but the fundamentals of our relationship with Japan are long-term and they are enduring.

REPORTER:

Foreign Minister Smith, thanks for your time today from Manhattan, appreciate it.

STEPHEN SMITH:

Thanks very much Kieran.

Ends

Original document from www.foreignminister.gov.au.

Last update Tuesday, 29 January 2008