Melissa Parke (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. How is the government promoting closer relations between Australia and Brazil?

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

I thank the member for Fremantle for that question. The Australian government is very committed to strengthening relations with Brazil. Australia wants to have an enhanced partnership with Brazil. I advise the House that this is also Brazil’s view—that Brazil wants to have an enhanced partnership with Australia. Brazil wants to strengthen its bilateral relations with Australia. This is as a result of the visit to Australia this week of External Relations Minister Amorim, and I am very pleased to join with the Speaker to welcome Minister Amorim and the Brazilian Ambassador to Australia, Ambassador de Mello Barreto, to the floor of the chamber.

Minister Amorim has been in Australia for a couple of days. Yesterday he had a very successful meeting with the Minister for Trade, Mr Crean, where the renewed commitment of both Australia and Brazil to breathe life back into the Doha Round was agreed. We very strongly support the measures and the efforts of Brazil to ensure that, before the end of this year, we get a positive outcome from the Doha Round. Last night I hosted for the minister a dinner at which we saw the array of Australian social and economic prowess and we saw the links between Australia and Brazil—academic, scientific and technological, investment and trade, energy, resources and the like. This morning we had a very successful formal bilateral meeting from which the joint communique indicates our joint desire to take our relationship with Brazil to an Enhanced Partnership, and we have charged our respective ambassadors and officials with the job of devising a plan of action across the array of interests between Australia and Brazil.

I think it is true to say that, in recent years, the people-to-people contact and the trade and investment contact between Australia and Brazil have advanced beyond the government-to-government contacts and the nation-to-nation contacts. We see, for example, close contact and cooperation now between our minerals resources industries. Brazil has 12,000 students in Australia—a very significant number. Also, the scientific and technological relationships between our two countries are growing, particularly in agriculture and agricultural related areas. It is time we reflected this with enhanced nation-to-nation and government-to-government relations.

This is the first visit by a Brazilian minister to Australia in the course of this government’s term. It is the second visit to Australia of a Brazilian foreign minister, and I am pleased to advise the House that both visits were by Minister Amorim, who came in 1993 and 1994. This is his second stint as foreign minister. In the interim, he came to Australia on a number of occasions as a member of the Canberra Commission. One of the matters we spoke about today was Australia’s and Brazil’s joint commitment to the non-proliferation treaty and our commitment to disarmament.

It is also the case, regrettably, that a Brazilian President has not visited Australia and an Australian Prime Minister has not visited Brazil. It has been agreed between the Prime Minister and President Lula that this will be rectified. The plan of action to be devised by officials, Minister Amorim and me will be presented to the President of Brazil and the Prime Minister to really take the relationship to an enhanced level.

Brazil and Australia have a lot in common. One thing we have in common is that we are the two largest nation states in the Southern Hemisphere. Brazil is now emerging as a significant economic, strategic and political influence. Brazil, like Australia, is a committed multilateralist, and we value very much the joint approach that Australia and Brazil take to our conduct and our activity in the United Nations. We are both strong supporters of United Nations Security Council reform. We also value very much Brazil’s activity in the Doha Round as a strong and active participant in the WTO.

I conclude by making the point that Minister Amorim and I have agreed in principle that, given that Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup, Minister Amorim will see what assistance he can render to Australia in our endeavour to host the 2018 World Cup. I have indicated to the minister that, should Brazil be successful in gaining the 2016 Olympics, we will of course give every advice and support, following our very successful experience from the Sydney Olympics. It has been a very productive visit by Minister Amorim, and we look forward very much to the enhanced partnership between Australia and Brazil.

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, I wish to strongly associate the opposition with the remarks of the Minister for Foreign Affairs in relation to the economic, political and social ties with Brazil and also welcome Minister Amorim to Australia. I also wish to support the foreign minister’s remarks about the World Cup.