Emma Rebellato, Host: Ok, well, right now we are joined by the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong. Minister, thanks very much for joining us.
Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Good morning. Good to be with you.
Rebellato: I'm going to ask you about the Vanuatu deal in a moment, but first I'd like to start by asking about the Australian man, Simon Peter Carman, who's accused of murdering a teenage girl in Thailand. What sort of consular help is being offered to him?
Foreign Minister: Look, I want to first start by saying this is horrific and I think we've all been horrified by what has been reported and extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends who have lost someone they love dearly. In relation to consular matters, we provide consular assistance to people. I'm not able to provide details of that because I'm bound by privacy requirements. But all Australians have access to consular support around the world when necessary.
Rebellato: Has the government spoken to its Thai counterparts about this case?
Foreign Minister: I've not spoken yet at my level. I know that there has been engagement at officials' level and I will be obviously going to the ASEAN meeting, so no doubt will have the opportunity to speak to my Foreign Minister counterpart there.
Rebellato: The Nakamal Agreement with Vanuatu was finally signed yesterday. Is this solely about curbing China's influence in the region and will it work?
Foreign Minister: First, I'd say this is a transformational agreement that Vanuatu wanted with Australia. It's a transformational breakthrough in our relationships with the Pacific and there will be more to come. There will be more to come and that's because we are determined to continue to engage and to formalise our arrangements and relationships with the countries of the Pacific. I've been very upfront with Australians – we are in a permanent contest in the Pacific, a permanent contest for influence. So we are very pleased that we have, after a lot of negotiation and discussion, signed the agreement yesterday between the two Prime Ministers that confirms Australia's place as Vanuatu's principal economic security and development partner.
Rebellato: I want to take you to matters overseas. The earthquake in Venezuela has been utterly devastating. Thousands still unaccounted for. Do we know if any Australians are among them or if any help has had to be offered to people there.
Foreign Minister: Emma, you're right. It has been utterly devastating. And I think authorities are still working through the scale of those who are lost and those who are still trapped. So, this is very, very distressing for all. And we extend our deepest sympathies to the people of Venezuela. We are providing some consular assistance to some seven individuals. We obviously will continue to engage with authorities to determine if any Australians need further assistance.
Rebellato: And are they seven Australian citizens who are over there?
Foreign Minister: Well, we're providing consular assistance to seven individuals.
Rebellato: And are they missing or the seven people are in Venezuela and have been in touch with DFAT.
Foreign Minister: Well, I think these are individuals with whom we have had contact.
Rebellato: Okay. In the Middle East, the US and Iran exchanged fire over the weekend. Again, it's still unclear when talks are going to resume in Qatar. Are you aware of what's going on? What's, what's happening here?
Foreign Minister: I think we can all safely say that this has been a very long process and one that hasn't resulted in a ceasefire that appears stable and permanent. But that is what we want. We want a stable ceasefire because we understand that the whole world is being impacted by the impact on fuel markets, on energy markets. That's refracting around the world. So, we want, and we've been calling for de-escalation for some time, we want the ceasefire to hold and we want, fuel, oil to flow through the Strait of Hormuz as it did previously because we know how it's impacting on Australians here and how it's impacting upon our broader region.
Rebellato: Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Thanks for your time.
Foreign Minister: Good to speak with you.