Australian foreign minister signals closer ties with India

By Neena Bhandari, IANS

Sydney : India will play an increasingly important role in Australia’s international relations, according to the country’s new foreign minister, Stephen Smith. This signals a continuation of the momentum set in the last few years of the ousted John Howard-led Conservative government.


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Setting out a foreign policy agenda based on “civility, respect and dignity” at its core, Smith, in his first official function as the country’s sixth Australian Labour Party foreign minister since World War II, said: “I believe it is essential to ensure that Australia looks to our important neighbours and partners to our west. India’s remarkable development only encourages me to bring us closer together.”

While speaking at the annual Diplomatic Corps’s Christmas party in Canberra Monday night, Smith singled out India. He said: “I look forward to working with the Indian Government and the Indian people to add depth and vigour to our relationship.”

He said there are three pillars that underpin the Labour Government’s approach to foreign policy: Australia’s alliance with the US, membership of the United Nations, and a strong focus on Asia and the Pacific.

He reiterated strong bilateral relations with the US, which have been supported by both sides of politics – Labour, Liberal, Democrat, Republican – in the two countries.

Smith is expected to head to Washington for talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice early next year and will begin preliminary discussions with US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns during the latter’s visit to Australia this week to discuss the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

One of the key differences in Labour’s foreign policy agenda from the former Liberal government has been a plan for the phased withdrawal of Australia’s 550 combat troops from Iraq. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said the combat troops will be pulled out by middle of 2008.

Smith said the government would strengthen the important relationships with New Zealand, the Pacific Island countries, countries of South-East Asia and close links with the economic powerhouses of North-East Asia.

“Our relationships with our traditional post World War II trading partners, Japan and Korea, and our relationship with the rapidly developing powerhouse, China, are crucial to our future economic and social prosperity and our national security,” said Smith, a former solicitor who has earlier worked as an adviser to former Labour prime minister Paul Keating.

One of the most influential foreign affairs commentators in Australia, Greg Sheridan recently wrote in The Australian: “Howard, more than anyone else in his government, understood the significance of India. His decision to sell India uranium was a brilliant strategic move to make Australia a partner of strategic consequence to India.

“Similarly, it is inconceivable that we could have got much more intimately involved with China, Japan, Indonesia and now, albeit a little belatedly, India, during the past few years.”

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