Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Would the minister update the House on Australia’s reaction to the testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles by North Korea?

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Boothby for his question and for asking a question today while we have with us in Canberra the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of South Korea, Ban Ki-moon, who has certainly in his time as the foreign minister been a very good friend to Australia. We have enjoyed a happy relationship with him. One of the difficulties that we—the Australian, South Korean and other governments—have had to deal with has been North Korea. The firing on 5 July of seven missiles, including one Taepo Dong II intercontinental ballistic missile, by North Korea was a matter of very deep concern. This Taepo Dong II missile, as I was explaining a couple of years ago, is a missile with a potential range of 15,000 kilometres, so it does have the potential capability of reaching the United States or, for that matter, not that it is likely to happen, even reaching Australia.

In response to this, the United Nations Security Council passed resolution 1695 imposing some legally binding measures for the first time on North Korea to prevent the transfer of missile and weapons of mass destruction components. We strongly supported that resolution and it was passed unanimously. I think one of the most interesting things about it was the very appropriate and encouraging support for that resolution by China. When I was in Japan recently, two weeks ago, I had the opportunity of discussing this issue with the Japanese government and also, a week earlier, with Secretary of State Rice in the ASEAN Regional Forum. Secretary of State Rice organised, on 28 July, a 10-party meeting, with five of the six parties to the six-party talks—that is obviously excluding North Korea—as well as five other countries including Australia. This was an opportunity for all of us to ensure that, as best we possibly can, we can have a coordinated approach to this issue. I think we do have a pretty well coordinated approach.

I also took the opportunity of meeting with the North Korean foreign minister, Paek Nam-sun, while I was in Kuala Lumpur, and once more reminded him of the international community’s demand for North Korea not only to immediately and unconditionally return to the six-party talks but to desist from any temptation to make further missile tests. Also, I think it is fair to say that we would of course be very anxious that North Korea would not contemplate conducting any nuclear tests, and that is a matter of some concern. It is not to say that I think it is going to happen, but it is a possibility.

The point I would make in conclusion is that this is a crucially important issue for our region. It is centrally important in addressing the issue that we, as a region and as a broader international community, remain coordinated and focused in applying, if you like, penalties to North Korea for bad behaviour and incentives for good behaviour should they decide to change their ways. And I have been encouraged by the support that China has shown for that policy.