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MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Hon. Kevin Rudd MP

TRANSCRIPT OF JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH GERMAN FOREIGN  MINISTER GUIDO WESTERWELLE

BERLIN

25 JANUARY 2012



Subjects: Australian-German relations; Iran; Syria





E & O E - PROOF ONLY

Guido Westerwelle:  Kevin thank you so much for coming to Berlin and Germany.  Thank  you so much for being here once again - it is not your first time at Villa Borsig. It is great to  have such a good friend of Germany here as a guest.  Thank you so much

Kevin Rudd:   Thank you very much Guido.  Thank you very much Foreign Minister  for being such a gracious host during my visit to Berlin.

This year, as Guido just said, we celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations.  This relationship  has become bigger and broader in recent years, and this is because we in Australia judge our  partnership with Germany to be important; important not just for Europe but important  around the world, and important bilaterally.  We also believe that Germany is an  overwhelming force for good in the world and its leadership in Europe is respected.

I thank the German Foreign Minister today for confirming our joint agreement to work  towards a strategic partnership between our two countries.  This we believe is important  because it signals taking our relationship to a new level - no longer focussed exclusively on  the bilateral but on our common values and interests that we take to every region of the  world and the global debate itself through the councils of the United Nations.  This is



Minister’s Office: 02 6277 7500 or 0434 664 589                                      Department: 02 6261 1555

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important and therefore we will join with German officials in finalising the details of the  partnership during the course of the months ahead.

Of course we see evidence of this partnership already on the ground.  We work together in  Afghanistan and more broadly across the international community.  It may surprise some to  know that through the work of the German aid agency we are now their single largest  international partner participating in Australia-German projects in more than 10 countries  around the world, some 14 projects already.  We would like to do more of that together -  effective development on the ground.

We spoke at some length about the ongoing debate in Europe, and the Euro and the  financial crisis as it's described around the world.  We would say this to our friends in  Germany - we strongly support Franco-German leadership in response to difficult challenges  in recent times, both on the question of financial firewalls and the question of fiscal  compact and fiscal discipline as well as the broader economic reform program which we  need to see unfold in wider Europe.  What happens in Europe with the financial crisis affects  the world; it affects Asia; it therefore affects Australia.

We in Australia are very much part of the growth continent of the 21st century - what  happens in the Asia Pacific, the Asia Indian Ocean region, the rise of China, the rise of India,  and other major emerging economies such as Indonesia, will affect not just our region but  will affect Europe and the world in the decades to come.

China, this decade, will become the single largest economy in the world by whichever  measure. Therefore in the history of the world it will be, for the first time in 200 years, that  a non-democracy, the first time in several hundred years the first time a non-Western  country, will be the largest economy in the world.  Therefore we look forward to working  with China and our partners in America and our partners in Europe in taking forward a  conciliatory and cooperative global rules-based order into the future.

As part of our unfolding strategic partnership we of course discussed the challenges which  arise in the wider Middle East.  We discussed in particular the challenges which are  presented by the policies and actions of the Iranian regime.  I would acknowledge German  leadership and the decisions which were taken most recently in Brussels only on Monday  morning concerning a new raft of sanctions against the Iranian regime.  The Government of  Australia fully supports these sanctions. The Government of Australia is enacting now  parallel measures against the Iranian regime.  We do this not simply as some sort of  academic foreign policy exercise. This is an exercise in real foreign policy to convey a real  message to the Iranian regime and to all its parts and the Iranian people that there is a  fundamental economic cost to be paid by a state which continues to defy an international  order as expressed through the UN Security Council and as expressed through the  International Atomic Energy Agency.  We view with grave concern the emergence and  continued development of the Iranian nuclear weapons program.

If I could conclude my remarks along these lines - this relationship between Australia and  Germany has come a long, long way in a relatively short period of time.  We believe it is  going to be an excellent relationship in the future. Part of my reason for coming to Berlin  today is to underline the importance of this 60th anniversary, but it’s also part of what I’m  seeking to do in Europe not just this visit but in the last several years to underpin the



Minister’s Office: 02 6277 7500 or 0434 664 589                                      Department: 02 6261 1555

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strength of our emerging strategic partnerships with the governments of France, the United  Kingdom, with Germany and the European Union itself.  And my deliberations in recent days  with Foreign Minister Juppe, Foreign Secretary Hague, President Van Rompuy and others in  Brussels that is precisely what we are doing, because we view, not just Germany, but Europe  as a force for good in the world at a time of great and emerging instabilities and therefore  we wish to work with our partners strongly in shaping a peaceful and prosperous future not  just in Europe, not just in the Asia Pacific region but globally as well.

Finally, Guido, belatedly Happy 50th Birthday.

I’m sorry I missed the biggest party and I gather the biggest event in the German social  calendar, but happy birthday belatedly and as someone who’s already passed the 50  landmark, may there be many more happy returns to come.

Guido Westerwelle:  Thank you so much and let me assure you that your country was  excellently represented at this birthday party by your ambassador. I had the impression that  he liked it.  Thank you so much.

AFP:    A question to the both of you if I may.  You talked about Iran but I

wonder if Syria also played a part in your discussions today.  Moscow has said they are open  to constructive dialogue on Syria, so I was wondering do you detect any movement in their  position, and how confident are you that a tough UNSC resolution will be passed?  And  Minister Rudd you mentioned Australia was already enacting sanctions on Iran - can you  explain what is actually going on and how that’s working in practice.

Guido Westerwelle:  Well let me answer about Syria.  As I said we discussed the situation in  the Middle East, and of course Syria is always a topic on our agenda.

From my point of view the latest decisions of the Arab League will be important and a good  time for other members of the Security Council to think about the policy once again.  I think  it is necessary that the initiative of the Arab League in New York to ask for a resolution will  be successful - this is what we want to support.  As for the latest gestures and signals it is  too early to make comments on this, because we are not seeking words and declarations,  we are seeking results in the interests of the people who are fighting for their freedom.

Kevin Rudd:   On the question of Syria, yes it has been a feature of our discussions,  because what happens in Syria affects the entire international community because what we  continue to see there day by day is the murder of innocent civilians.

We commend also the recent diplomacy on the part of the Arab League and we note a  discussion that has occurred most recently on their report in Cairo.  As Foreign Minister  Westerwelle has said the early consideration of the Arab League’s findings in New York of  the Security Council is important and we would urge other members of the Security Council  to adopt a positive approach about what further actions now need to be taken to cause the  Syrian regime to change its posture.  Every day that goes that by, more Syrian civilians die.

On the question of Australian sanctions against Iran - we have in Australia recently passed  legislation which provides the Government with the opportunity to embrace autonomous  sanctions - that is those which are not necessarily connected with actions by the UN Security



Minister’s Office: 02 6277 7500 or 0434 664 589                                      Department: 02 6261 1555

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Council.  That, I am advised, will be the vehicle through which we enact parallel sanctions to  those adopted in Brussels the other day.  We think that is the right approach for the simple  reason that we need to convey a concerted global message to the Iranians of the  unacceptability globally of their behaviour.

Guido Westerwelle:   The more countries that participate in the sanctions, the better is the  chance that they will be successful.

ENDS











