



Japan-Australia Joint Communique

THU 21 APRIL 2011

Prime Minister

Earthquake and tsunami

1. Prime Minister Kan welcomed Prime Minister Gillard to Japan and expressed the sincere  gratitude of the Japanese Government for the assistance provided by Australia in response to  the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, including the dispatch of an Urban Search and  Rescue Team to Miyagi Prefecture, the deployment of Royal Australian Air Force C-17  aircraft to assist with relief operations, and the donation of $10 million to the Australian Red  Cross Japan and Pacific Disaster Appeal.  He emphasized Japan’s determination to overcome  the recent tragedy and revitalize Japan, with a view to creating a new future.

2. Prime Minister Gillard expressed Australia’s sorrow and grief over Japan’s great losses.  She affirmed Australia’s friendship and solidarity with Japan and its people in the wake of  the disaster and its readiness to support Japan’s early recovery.  She emphasized the  Government’s confidence in Japan’s ability to recover quickly and to continue to play a  strong and active role in the international community and global economy.

Nuclear safety

3. Prime Minister Kan expressed his determination to resolve the situation at the Fukushima  Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station and confirmed that Japan would continue to provide  information to the international community with maximum transparency in relation to the  response to the accident as well as on the safety of Japanese products, calling for measured  responses based on sufficient scientific evidence.  He also expressed his determination to  thoroughly review the accident of the nuclear power plant in due course and to share the  experiences gained from the accident with the international community. Prime Minister  Gillard re-iterated the readiness of Australia to support Japan’s efforts in resolving the  situation.

4. The two Prime Ministers recognized the need to enhance their cooperation in the  framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to globally strengthen the  safety standards of nuclear power generation.

Energy and resources

5. Prime Minister Kan emphasized the importance of Australia as a longstanding energy  supplier and close economic partner of Japan and expressed his expectations for continued  stable supply of LNG and other energy and mineral resources to Japan.  Prime Minister  Gillard assured Prime Minister Kan that Australia would continue stable supply through

commercial market mechanisms. Prime Minister Gillard also welcomed further investment  by Japanese companies in LNG development in Australia, which would contribute to the  stability of supply to Japan.

6. The two Prime Ministers also emphasized the importance of further promoting the  development and use of clean energy and confirmed that the two countries would continue  bilateral and multilateral cooperation in this area.

Disaster preparedness and response

7. The two Prime Ministers confirmed it was timely to further develop bilateral cooperation  and to strengthen coordinationin the civil and military areas on disaster preparedness and  response. They also confirmed that Japan and Australia would continue to cooperate on  disaster relief in international fora such as the Trilateral Strategic Dialogue (TSD), Security  and Defence Cooperation Forum (SDCF), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East  Asia Summit (EAS), based on any bilateral framework on disaster relief and humanitarian  assistance.

Security and defence

8. The two Prime Ministers renewed their recognition that Japan and Australia were natural  security partners by virtue of their shared strategic interests and values.  They asked Foreign  and Defence Ministers totake forward in the context of the next 2+2 meeting a vision for  bilateral security and defence cooperation building on the Joint Declaration on Security  Cooperation 2007 and other arrangements. They also expressed willingness to bring the  Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement into force as soon as possible and to conclude  negotiations on an Information Security Agreement by the time of the next 2+2 meeting.

Trade policy

9. The two Prime Ministers recognised that trade and investment liberalisation would be vital  to the continuing health of the global and regional economy and to economic growth in the  two countries.  Taking into account the current circumstances in Japan and their implications,  they confirmed that the two countries would conduct further negotiations leading to a  conclusion of a comprehensive and mutually beneficial bilateral FTA/EPA.  They also called  for a successful conclusion of the WTO Doha Round negotiations as promptly as possible in  light of the declarations at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Summit last  November.

Global issues

10. The two Prime Ministers confirmed that Japan and Australia should work together to  achieve reform of the UN Security Council and other UN bodies to be more representative  and effective, including enlargement in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of  the Council.  They would also continue to work together bilaterally and in global and regional  fora.  They confirmed the need to consolidate the G20 as the premier forum for international  economic cooperation and to deliver strong outcomes at the G20 Summit to underpin the  global recovery and job creation, including on the framework for strong, sustainable and  balanced growth and on price volatility.  They welcomed the forthcoming participation of the  United States and Russia in the EAS and looked forward to the first meeting of the expanded  EAS in Indonesia later this year.  They confirmed they would work with ASEAN and other

EAS members to support the development of a political, security and economic agenda for  the EAS, while promoting existing priorities including CEPEA.  They also looked forward to  taking concrete actions to realize APEC’s goals of free and open trade and investment and the  Yokohama Vision for sustained growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region particularly  in the areas of regulatory cooperation, green growth and regional economic integration this  year.

11. The two Prime Ministers also confirmed that they would continue to work together to  combat climate change, to alleviate poverty to enhance human security and to advance  nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

