Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I will deal with all of them; do not worry. Japan’s Prime Minister and Australia’s Prime Minister were close to the first two prime ministers to speak when the new Japanese Prime Minister came to office. Our relationship with Japan is very strong. The trilateral strategic dialogue I had with Foreign Minister Okada and Secretary of State Clinton in New York reflected the strength of our relationship, the strong economic, social and strategic partnership that we have with Japan.

On India: during the Prime Minister’s visit to India we signed a strategic partnership. Regrettably, Australian foreign policy for over a quarter of a century has neglected India. In the first speech I made as foreign minister, I said that we have to enhance our engagement with India, and we are. India is on the rise, just as China is on the rise.

Let me deal finally with the Middle East. The government has changed three votes before the General Assembly—

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