Japan-Australia Business Dialogue
To Prime Minister Abe, Premier MikeBaird, Sir Rod Eddington the president of Australia-Japan Business CooperationCommittee and to Dr Mimura-san, President of the Japan-Australia BusinessCooperation Committee, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
It's a great pleasure for me as Australia's Trade, Tourismand Investment Minister to have the opportunity this morning to make somewelcoming remarks. Those of you seated around the table represent in a physicalsense the strength of the trade and investment relationship between Japan andAustralia.
It's a relationship that started in 1957 with the formalCommencement and it's one that's now been going for more than six decades. Inmany respects tomorrow, the most recent iteration of this relationship whichwas of course the comprehensive Japan Australia Economic Partnership Agreementcelebrates its second anniversary.
This Agreement, an Agreement which really brings to thetable the common values, the common heritage that we have in terms of trade aswell as our common aspirations for a prosperous future for our people, builtupon open access to markets, a belief that trade drives economic growth, an understandingthat in order to ensure that in our region we can overcome together thechallenges we face, we do this through the people-to-people links that tradeand investment drives.
Can I also say, coming from the Gold Coast and being in thiscity of Sydney, I know that both places are particularly fond, I should sayJapanese are very fond of both places. Australia and Japan share so manythings. Whether it's Australian tourists going to enjoy the ski fields inSapporo or whether it's Japanese coming to enjoy the great shopping in Sydneyor the beautiful beaches of the Gold Coast.
The fact is our peoples love each other's countries andshare our common approach that we have to enjoyment of life and to mutualbenefit through trade. Can I conclude by remarking on this fact: We will haveopportunities in the future to continue to grow our relationship.
I want to congratulate Prime Minster Abe for his strongglobal leadership with respect to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Australia veryfirmly believes that the TPP holds significant benefits for all 12 countriesthat have signed up to it. It is our earnest hope that we will continue to seethe ratification of the TPP by all 12 countries.
In the interim we will work towards being strong advocatesof the myriad of advantages that flow and will understand that through the TPPwe can overcome those mutual challenges that we face and we can ensure thateach of us in a time of significant economic tumult are able to embrace thetremendous opportunities in trade and investment and ensure that we underpinthe economic success and growth of our countries in the years ahead. You todaycan make sure we also continue to build on that.
Thank you.