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STEPHEN SMITH: Thank you very much for attending. Can I, again, officially welcome Cuba's Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, to Australia, to Western Australia and to Perth. It's not his first visit to Australia, but it is his first visit to Australia as Foreign Minister and his first visit to Perth. Indeed, it's the first visit to Australia by a Cuban Foreign Minister since 1995, and we welcome that very much.

It is indeed the return visit to my own visit to Havana in November last year, which was also the first visit by an Australian Foreign Minister to Cuba since 1995. So we've agreed that it's way too long between drinks, and we need to work hard to ensure that 15 years don't elapse before respective visits again.

This morning we visited Royal Perth Hospital, and inspected the Burns Unit and the state major trauma unit in the company of Dr Fiona Wood. That reflects Cuba's, not just keen interest in medical assistance, medical technology, and medical expertise, but it also reflects the fact that Cuba is internationally renowned for the medical assistance work that it does. Not just in the Caribbean, in its own region, but far broader than that. Indeed, Minister Rodriguez has just come from East Timor, where Cuba, through a medical facility, trains up to 700 East Timorese in the medical profession.

One of the things that we've discussed is the potential for Australia and Cuba to collaborate on development assistance in the medical area. Australia, of course, has had for a long period of time, as part of its development assistance program, medical assistance, including in key areas, such as child and maternal health care, HIV/AIDS, and immunisation.

So we're looking at what we can do together, in the Pacific. And also potentially in the Caribbean, in terms of collaboration on development assistance in the medical area.

We also spoke about enhancing the bilateral relationship between Australia and Cuba. When I was in Havana we signed a Memorandum of Understanding between our respective Ministries, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Cuban Ministry for Foreign Affairs, on general political, and bilateral cooperation.

We have in existence a Memorandum of Understanding on sporting matters, and we're looking at enhancing both our sporting and cultural contacts. We are looking, in addition to general collaboration, on the development assistance front, as to whether a memorandum of understanding can be struck between us in that area.

The Minister's visit here and the discussions we've had, reflect very much the Australian Government's desires, not just to enhance our bilateral relationship with Cuba, but also to enhance our bilateral relationships with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

In November of last year, in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the CARICOM countries, the countries of the Caribbean. Earlier this year, for the first time, as an Australian Foreign Minister I attended a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caribbean countries, or CARICOM, in Dominica.

So, we're very pleased to enhance our engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean. We're very pleased to enhance our engagement with Cuba. We believe there is good work that we can do together in the development assistance area, particularly on the medical front. And we look forward, Bruno, to progressing that with you.

I'd like to invite Foreign Minister Rodriguez to make some opening remarks, and then we're able to answer questions for a short time, and then we're off to have an official lunch. So, Bruno, over to you.

BRUNO RODRIGUEZ: Thank you. Thank you very much Minister Smith. I'm really enjoying my visit in Perth and Western Australia. I paid a wonderful visit today's morning to an outstanding hospital, and met this fabulous person, who is Dr Fiona Wood, and was really pleased to be enlightened on core elements of the healthcare system in Western Australia. And I saw very close links between healthcare practices here and in our healthcare system in Cuba.

We could have excellent exchange in our programs of international medical cooperation in this region with six small Pacific islands, and a huge medical deployment, after requests are made by Timorese Government. Several years ago, as Minister Smith said, we committed to train a thousand Timorese doctors. Right now we have 911 on their different medicine courses. Around 700 in Dili, and the difference in Cuban territory.

And at the same time I was impressed about the efficient job made by the Timorese Government, and change in healthcare figures. And it happens because of the governmental commitment, and also with the humble contribution of around 200 Cuban doctors right now deployed in the whole geography of East Timor.

We have had an excellent bilateral talks today's morning. I feel really pleased about the current trend of bilateral exchanges between Australia and Cuba. The special progress made during the tenure of this Government, of the Prime Minister Rudd's Government, and especially after the bench mark, which was the official visit paid by Minister Smith to Havana city last November.

Secondly, I feel really glad about the level of exchanges in political cooperation or economic issues between both Governments. That it has been discussed in our talks this morning.

Thirdly, I feel an opportunity for both our countries enhancing triangular cooperation focussed, maybe, in small Pacific islands in the field of medicine, research and care services. And also I made an invitation to Minister Smith to enhance our triangular cooperation with the Haitian Government, after the terrible and painful earthquake that happened last January there.

Finally I would like express gratitude to the Australian Government and to the Australian people because of their stand in favour of the international law of the free navigation and in favour of the international commercial rules. The Australian support of the resolution passed every year by the General Assembly of the United Nations, urging for the cease of the American blockade against Cuba.

Thank you very much.

STEPHEN SMITH: Thanks Minister, thanks very much. We're pleased to respond to questions on the bilateral relationship and once we've exhausted those, I'm happy to deal with any other matters that people need to raise with me. We've probably got about 10 or so minutes.

QUESTION: Is there cooperation already between Australian medical personnel in East Timor and Cuba — the Cuban provinces? There is a level where they're together?

STEPHEN SMITH: There's no on the ground cooperation. But we believe because of our mutual interest in development assistance, in having medical expertise and medical services as part of that, there is a lot of potential to join together both potentially in the Pacific, in our backyard, in our region, but also in the Caribbean.

Both in the Pacific and in the Caribbean you, of course, have small island states, low income, in need of capacity building and so given Cuba's world class credentials in the medical training area, given our world class expertise in child and maternal health care, we believe that there is potential for us to work together. And that's what we're exploring.

We also, this morning, as the Minister has indicated, spoke about Australia's substantial contribution to Haiti, which reflected the enormity of the disaster in Haiti, but also reflected our enhanced engagement with the CARICOM countries and the Caribbean. And Cuba is pursuing a long-term reconstruction health facility in the Haiti and we're looking at whether Australia can play some small part in that.

But we think very much the potential is there in both of our regions. QUESTION: Minister Rodriguez mentioned earlier that the blockade and Australia's support for Cuba for ending that blockade.

Do you have an updated position on Australia's view on how serious that concern is, and whether more should be done?

STEPHEN SMITH: Australia's position is of longstanding, shared by Governments of both political persuasion and it's reflected every year by our support of Cuba in the General Assembly resolution which is essentially to cease the economic and commercial blockade of Cuba. That's a longstanding position, longstanding Australian Government and Australian policy, well understood by Cuba and appreciated by Cuba, but also well understood by the United States.

QUESTION: But it's — that's the point, it's longstanding and it's — the problem's still there. I mean is there a…

STEPHEN SMITH: Well it…

QUESTION: …need for emergency, or…?

STEPHEN SMITH: …it continues to be our view that the blockade should be lifted. That's been Australia's position for a long period of time.

QUESTION: Minister, does Australia have any concerns for human rights issues in Cuba?

STEPHEN SMITH: Human rights is one of the matters that we spoke about in the course of the morning. I think there are two aspects to our human rights discussions. One is we struck up, as I indicated, a Memorandum of Understanding between our respective departments in Havana last year. This sets the scene for a political and foreign policy dialogue and we very much regard human rights issues, or human rights matters as part of that, so we had a conversation about these matters.

Secondly, we have what is very important to both Cuba and Australia under the Human Rights Council, is the universal periodic reviews. Cuba took part in the universal periodic review in 2009 and Australia made a submission to that review. Australia is up for our universal periodic review before the Human Rights Council next year, 2011.

So this is part of our bilateral exchanges. It's also part of our commitment to a multilateral discussion of human rights through the universal periodic review under the United Nations Human Rights Council.

BRUNO RODRIGUEZ: We have had an exchange of views in a very broad range of international or bilateral issues. And as part of this a comprehensive political agenda, we have had discussions on human rights fields, on reciprocal basis, equal footing and fully respect for the constitutional order of both parties. And I feel that our cooperation in international fora regarding a concrete exercise for the all human rights. I mean that not only civil, or political rights, but social, economic and cultural rights for every citizen worldwide could be a common goal and a basis for having substantial change in international fora involving these matters.

QUESTION: What's your reaction to the latest deaths of two Australian soldiers in Afghanistan?

STEPHEN SMITH: It of course, is very tragic. It's especially tragic for the families concerned and for the friends and loved ones of the two deceased servicemen. At this stage, of course, respecting the wishes of the families, we're not naming the individuals concerned, so we'll allow that to take its natural course.

But it's been a substantial period of time, almost a year, since we suffered our last casualties in Afghanistan. It's a multiple casualty, the first time it's occurred since the Vietnam War, so there will be a special grieving at this moment and our thoughts and our hearts are with the families.

QUESTION: How much longer are we intending to stay in there?

STEPHEN SMITH: We've never put a timetable on our commitment to Afghanistan. We are there because we very much see Afghanistan, the Afghanistan/Pakistan border area as one of the current hotbeds or danger points so far as international terrorism is concerned.

Australians have regrettably been on the receiving end of that, whether it's in Jakarta or Bali, or London. So our commitment in Oruzgan province is to help train the Afghan security forces so they're in a position to look after their own affairs.

But, we also very strongly agree with the strategy that's been effected since President Obama came to office which is: this is not an issue which will be resolved by military conduct alone, it requires action on the security front and military enforcement. It also requires a political outcome, and it also requires assistance on the civilian front, on capacity building, on development assistance, and in recent months the Prime Minister and I have announced an enhanced Australian contribution on that front. But we haven't, we don't, we never put a timetable on our commitment to Afghanistan, other than to very strongly make the point that our commitment is to be there, together with the rest of the international community to stare down international terrorism.

QUESTION: Can you confirm the matter of the freeze on processing of some asylum seekers. Can you confirm that the government's humanitarian program is unaffected by that freeze and if that's the case then isn't it possible that we're still getting refugees from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan?

STEPHEN SMITH: The pause in respect of Sri Lanka and Afghanistan applies in respect of unauthorised arrivals, either by boat or by plane. And the pause in respect of Sri Lanka will be reviewed after the three month period to which we are very close, and with Afghanistan, after the six month period. That pause was never intended to, nor does it affect our general humanitarian program with is an offshore program done in conjunction with the UNHCR and I'm sure Senator Evans, the Minister, has and will confirm that.

QUESTION: And when can we expect an announcement on who will partner Australia in Oruzgan?

STEPHEN SMITH: We are waiting in the first instance until the Dutch elections which are imminent, and the formation of a Dutch Government to see what role, if any, the Dutch can continue to play in Oruzgan province.

Of course given the uncertainty that that creates we have obviously been in discussions not just with the United States, but also with International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, in Kabul itself.

We have made it clear that in a military sense we are not in a position to take the leadership role in Oruzgan province. That goes to our overall military capacity and the commitments and contributions we're making throughout the world. But these are matters which will come to a conclusion or a finalisation in the aftermath of the formation of a new Dutch administration. But obviously we have been in very close discussion with our friends and colleagues in ISAF about that matter.

QUESTION: Can you provide an update on the Australian woman in Yemen?

STEPHEN SMITH: Yes. I spoke last night to my Yemeni counterpart, to Yemen's Foreign Minister Dr al-Qirbi. It has been agreed between Australian and Yemen that together with her children she will be deported from Yemen by the end of this week, and she will return to Australia together with her two children.

In the meantime she continues to receive consular support from Australian officers who have gone to the Yemen and that consular support includes ongoing contact, not just with her but with the children.

So I'm very pleased that this development has occurred overnight. We put the view through officials that there was no reason why the children could not return home. In the event, the Yemeni authorities have come to the conclusion that the most appropriate course of action is the deportation of the woman together with her children. We welcome the fact that the children will be returning to Australia in the company of their mother.

QUESTION: Just in regards to the Chinese navy patrol boats being launched in East Timor, will this further strain relations between Australia and East Timor?

STEPHEN SMITH: Absolutely not. We've known for some time that East Timor was proposing to receive two patrol boats from China. East Timor is an independent sovereign nation. It's perfectly entitled to enter into whatever agreement it wants in terms of its defence or security assets.

We continue to have a United Nations sponsored and mandated force in East Timor, assisting East Timor with its security arrangements. Our level has reduced slightly over the last 12 months and that's a good thing as East Timor becomes more capable of looking after its own security arrangements. It's perfectly appropriate for East Timor to look to more than one country for its defence or security assets.

QUESTION: [Inaudible question]

STEPHEN SMITH: Well in respect of the resources tax, I make the same point that I made last week when I spoke to a group of business people in Western Australia. I very much believe what is now needed is a period of calm discussion and calm negotiations and calm deliberation through the government process.

We've seen, as I described it earlier, some overblown statements, and we've seen in the last couple of days some retractions of some overblown statements. I think the time has come for people to do their talking and their thinking behind closed doors and to stop the noise outside closed doors.

More generally, it's the season for opinion polls and the seasons for the onset of an election campaign. And I know that I hate using the trite formula and I know you hate receiving it, but in the end there'll be one poll that counts.

And in that I make the same point that a number of my colleagues have made. It's often very easy to view a government or a political party, or political personalities in isolation. In the end the Australian community has to make a choice between the Government and its Liberal Party opponents, and I remain of the view that in the end the community won't take the risk of a Tony Abbott prime ministership or a Tony Abbott government. That would be too much of a risk on the economic front, and too much of a risk on the national security front.

Thanks very much.

BRUNO RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.

ENDS

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