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QUESTION: How does Australia define its role in relation to the G20 in the context of the current economic situation?

STEPHEN SMITH: We've played a very strong part in the G20, but also a strong part in arguments that the G20 should be the premier financial institution. I think in that respect we've worked very closely with Spain, and we strongly believe and agree that, given the size and the strength and the relevance of Spain's economy locally, that Spain should continue to have an involvement in and with the G20.

QUESTION: Thank you. What is the attitude of your country with regard to the multilateralism as for safety in Asia?

STEPHEN SMITH: Whether it's in Asia, the Asia Pacific or whether it's in Europe or Eurasia, when it comes to peace and security, it requires nations and people to act together, to work together cooperatively.

So whether that is through regional institutions, like the European Union, whether it's through regional institutions that cross regions, like ASEM — Asia Europe Meeting — or whether it's through some of the regional institutions in the Asia Pacific, APEC — the Asia Pacific Economic Community — or the ASEAN-related institutions, all of these things throw nations and people together. And the more dialogue there is, the more confidence-building there is, the more capacity there is to have a conversation about difficult issues, the less likelihood there is that we find either misadventure or provocation.

So having institutionalised or formalised dialogue through the regional institutions plays a very important role in enduring and ongoing peace and security. And in the context, for example, of Europe, where for centuries we had conflict, the emergence of the European Union, is something which has brought stability and security now for a considerable number of decades.

So whether it's Europe, whether it's Asia, having the institutional frameworks is a most helpful contribution to peace and security.

QUESTION: What was the impact in the Australian public opinion of the historical declarations of February 2008 where the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, asked Australian Aborigines for forgiveness?

STEPHEN SMITH: The apology was a very significant and important event in Australia's history. The Parliament passed the resolution of apology to our indigenous communities, and our indigenous communities saw that as being an act where they, for the first time, regard themselves as truly a part of the modern Australia, and where modern Australians apologise for a series of sins of the past. And from the modern perspective of Australia, which is a tolerant, multi-cultural, open society, this was both a deeply emotional thing, but also a deeply significant event.

Internationally, I think it went a very long way to enhancing Australia's reputation and standing. When any country is prepared to look at itself, to look at its past, and to accept that things that were done in the past were wrong, either morally or ethically, and acknowledges that, not only is it good for a nation's heart and soul, it's also good for a nation's standing, amongst his neighbours and his friends.

So it was, I think, a very significant event in terms of Australia's standing and reputation internationally.

QUESTION: Thank you. In the last years the presence of Spanish companies in Australia has grown considerably. What is your perspective on long term economic, social and cultural relations between Spain and Australia?

STEPHEN SMITH: The relationship between Australia and Spain has always been a warm and friendly one, but it's only been in the last couple of years that we've both come to appreciate that there is much more potential to the relationship than we've previously contemplated.

We have seen, as you draw attention to, significant successes so far as Spanish companies are concerned, both in Australia, building desalination plants, having infrastructure and investment opportunities, but also in Spain itself, being successful in bringing in a number of military or Defence procurement contracts. And the potential for enhanced investment in trade and commerce between Australia and Spain is very significant.

But that's not the only path where we see the scope for much more in the relationship. We've been working very closely together on the G20, we're very like-minded when it comes to international principles, we've worked closely in the United Nations, we're both robust democracies, respectful of the rule of law, we're respecters of human rights, so we find it very easy to work with each other.

And so I think, given Australia's heightened engagement in Europe, we now have an Australia/European Union partnership framework. We've recently become, with Spain a very strong supporter, a member of ASEM, the Asia Europe Meeting, we've recently become a member of, or an Asian dialogue partner of, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, again with Spain's support, and of course we work closely on NATO and International Security Assistance Force matters in Afghanistan.

These things throw us together in a regional and an institutional sense, so part of my visit here is to enhance and increase the high level of visits that we have. We're looking very much forward to the Prime Minister coming to Australia, following on from the very successful visit by His Majesty, the King, and Her Majesty the Queen.

My visit here is the first visit by an Australian Foreign Minister since 2002, and that's way too long a period, so Foreign Minister Moratinos and I are moving to make sure that doesn't happen again. So the high level engagement, the people-to-people links, the commercial links, the like-mindedness of international regional institutions, all of these things are causing us now to extract the maximum from the Australia-Spain relationship, and that's a very good thing.

QUESTION: Thank you so much.

STEPHEN SMITH: Thank you.

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