The Hon Stephen Smith MP, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
Australian Commonwealth Coat of Arms

The Hon Stephen Smith mp

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

Media release

26 October 2008

Visit to Cyprus, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and Paris

I will visit Cyprus, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and France from Monday 27 to Thursday 30 October.

I will visit Cyprus on 27 October. This will be my first visit as Foreign Minister and reflects the importance Australia attaches to supporting the renewed United Nations efforts to resolve the long running Cyprus dispute.

In Nicosia, I will meet President Christofias and Foreign Minister Kyprianou to discuss the progress of settlement negotiations and the Australian Government’s commitment to bring a new era to Australia’s relationship with the EU. I will also meet Mr Taye-Brook Zerihoun, Chief of Mission for the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) to discuss the UN’s operations.

I will view the physical division of the island during a Green Line inspection and meet members of the Australian Federal Police contingent serving with UNFICYP. Australia police have served in the UN mission in Cyprus since 1964.

I will visit Israel and the Palestinian Territories on 28 October. This will be my first visit there as Foreign Minister. I will reaffirm Australia’s long-lasting friendship with Israel and offer congratulations on Israel’s 60th anniversary. In Israel, I will meet my counterpart Ms Tzipi Livni, Minister for Foreign Affairs. This and other meetings will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss domestic political developments and prospects for the Middle East Peace Process.

In the Palestinian Territories, I will meet leaders of the Palestinian Authority, Prime Minister Fayaad, Foreign Minister Al-Malki and Ahmed Qurei, Chief Negotiator for the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

I will confirm to both parties Australia’s strong commitment to the Middle East Peace Process and a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

I will meet with my French counterpart, Mr Bernard Kouchner, in Paris on 29 October to launch the Australia-EU Partnership Framework Agreement. France currently holds the EU’s rotating Presidency.

The Australia-EU Partnership Framework is the prime vehicle for taking forward the new era of a broad-based bilateral engagement announced in April by Prime Minister Rudd and European Commission President Barroso.

The Partnership Framework is the major outcome of the Joint Statement this year and follows on from the Australia-EU Passenger Name Record Agreement on cooperation in border security and the EU’s agreement to the negotiation of a Comprehensive Air Services Agreement with Australia.

Australia looks forward to working much more closely with the EU to develop common approaches to addressing the broad range of important global and regional challenges that are identified in the Partnership Framework.

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