Patricia Karvelas, Host: The Foreign Minister Penny Wong is still in Singapore. She's part of that tour to help secure fuel supplies and she joins us this afternoon. Foreign Minister, welcome to the program.
Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Good to be with you, Patricia.
Karvelas: You've just been on this trip with the Prime Minister. So, what does the next 12 weeks look like for Australians?
Foreign Minister: What we know is that we first need to have the ceasefire hold and the Strait of Hormuz open. But we also know there is going to be disruption for some time in global energy markets, and we are not immune from that. We're very conscious of that. And so one of the things we are working to do in the region is not only to secure additional supplies now, but to establish the ways in which we can work together as the disruption continues to flow through to our region. Remember, the majority of oil coming through the Strait of Hormuz comes to Asia, around 70 to 80 per cent of it. So, that's why we're affected and that's why the refineries of Asia are affected, which is why it is so important that we engage face-to-face on how we manage this, not just today, but going forward.
Karvelas: There's been now a couple of different deals, obviously, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore. Will we see more nations sign on?
Foreign Minister: This is the focus of these visits. Obviously, we will continue to engage with all partners and to work through this with the many countries who are affected. But our initial focus on our region is for the reasons that I outlined. We receive a lot of our liquid fuels from Singapore, from Malaysia, and also Brunei as well as Korea. And we also know we are a reliable supplier of energy into the region and to those countries. So, we want to make sure we work closely together, not just for today, but for the weeks and months ahead.
Karvelas: One of the criticisms from the Opposition is that these agreements are not binding on these nations today. Angus Taylor saying today they're just about picture opportunities for the Prime Minister. What's your response to that?
Foreign Minister: What I'd say is that unlike Mr Taylor, the people with whom we are dealing, whether it's the Sultan of Brunei or the Prime Minister of Malaysia or the Prime Minister of Singapore, understand very keenly, very clearly the nature of the shock to energy markets, what the world is dealing with and what our region is dealing with. And what we are working to do is to cooperate, engage, communicate and to do all we can to assure supply. That is what we are about. Our focus is on how do we make sure we get more fuel as needed for Australia now, but also in the weeks and months ahead, because we are very realistic about the length of time it will take for energy markets to come back to where they were as a consequence of this disruption.
Karvelas: Penny Wong, does the ceasefire in Lebanon have any meaning without Hizballah's participation?
Foreign Minister: Well Hizballah should observe the ceasefire. We've been very consistent about this PK since, since the beginning. I was asked, do you support the ceasefire applying to Lebanon? We said yes. I explained the reason for that. Why we said Hizballah and Israel should observe the ceasefire is because if the fighting continued in Lebanon, the ceasefire for the whole region was at risk. We're pleased that there has been discussions and negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. We think the ceasefire should apply to all parties. We would encourage that. We know that this is critical for the broader ceasefire across the region, which of course is necessary for the whole world. I mean, the whole world is being affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
Karvelas: The Lebanese army has already claimed violations of the truce, including intermittent shelling of several southern Lebanese villages. Should Israel cease all strikes altogether?
Foreign Minister: Well, we call for the ceasefire to be observed by all parties.
Karvelas: And does it worry you that it's not being observed by Israel?
Foreign Minister: There's a lot that worries me at the moment in the region. Most of all the disruption to global energy markets as well as obviously the humanitarian crisis we see. Our position is we want the ceasefire to be observed by all parties.
Karvelas: On the Straits of Hormuz, will you be Australia's representative at that meeting later today? Have you finalised who will be our representative?
Foreign Minister: The Government will be represented and we will make clear who that will be at the appropriate time, certainly before the meeting.
Karvelas: Okay what are we prepared to commit to this as being part of this 40-nation meeting?
Foreign Minister: We've made clear we want to be part of efforts, particularly diplomatic efforts, to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is open, that freedom of navigation occurs, after at the point at which conflict has ended. Obviously, there's a process of negotiation now between the United States and Iran. We'd encourage that negotiation just as we continue to support the ceasefire. I think the focus of these discussions is really what happens next, which is consistent with what I was saying to you, we know this has got some way to play out.
Karvelas: It certainly does. So, beyond, obviously, the diplomatic participation, would we be prepared to offer defensive assets at the later point?
Foreign Minister: Well, look, you know, we want to see the Strait open. We will work with other countries to that end, and I'm not pre-empting any discussions about that.
Karvelas: Okay but that's not a no, right? You're open to –
Foreign Minister: Well, no, I'm not pre-empting that. We want to see the Straits open. The point I've made, including perhaps not on your program, but on others, is that it is very challenging to secure the Strait militarily, which is why diplomatic efforts, multilateral efforts, to get agreement for the Strait to be open and to operate in accordance with international law are so important.
Karvelas: Why do you think Donald Trump keeps saying Australia hasn't helped with the US blockade?
Foreign Minister: Well, I think that's probably a question for President Trump rather than for me. I can only tell you what our position is. I've made clear, as has the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, that we've responded, we haven't had a formal request in the terms you've just outlined. We've made clear what we have been doing in terms of defensive operations in relation to this conflict. We've made clear that we are not taking offensive action against Iran, Australia maintains that posture –
Karvelas: But he obviously thinks we've let him down, there is a clear discrepancy between what Trump is claiming and our position. Don't we need to work out why that discrepancy exists?
Foreign Minister: We will continue to articulate what we have done, what we are doing and the nature of Australia's engagement.
KARVELAS: Is there a reason you're using the word 'formal' request, does that carry different weight, has there been an informal request?
Foreign Minister: No, I was making I think the same point the Deputy Prime Minister has made and we have been clear about what we have provided in response to this conflict which is defensive capability at the request of the UAE and that operates in defence of regional countries.
Karvelas: Does it worry you, though, that the US President, this is our strongest ally, according to yesterday's Defence Strategy that was released, our strongest ally thinks we've let them down, is it not, have you not made requests, Marco Rubio, with your counterparts, to work out why he feels this way?
Foreign Minister: We've been, we continue to engage with the United States at all appropriate levels and including publicly as well as privately. And we have made clear what we have provided including in response to requests in relation to this conflict and they are the capability that the Deputy Prime Minister announced which is the Wedgetail, it is the being utilised for the defence of regional countries. In addition, we've provided some of the, I think they're called AMRAAMs. These are all defensive capabilities. We have responded as requested.
Karvelas: But we have not said no to any request, you're saying?
Foreign Minister: Well, we have not said no to any request and I appreciate that this is an issue people want to ask me about, but I would make the point, the same question has been asked multiple times of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister and we have given the same answer.
Karvelas: I know I would be, I would be irritated too if the question was asked, but I can't –
Foreign Minister: I'm not so much irritated, I'm just making a point.
Karvelas: We've got the US President who has said on the tarmac clearly that he's not happy with Australia and so it can't not be asked. And there's still a discrepancy even at the end of all these interviews. Does it not worry the Australian Government that there is a discrepancy?
Foreign Minister: We want to make sure that the United States is well appraised throughout its institutions of what Australia has been asked for and what Australia has provided. And we will continue to make sure that occurs.
Karvelas: US General Dan Caine says the US military will actively pursue any Iranian flagged vessels or any ships attempting to support the Iranian regime elsewhere in the world and that other US military assets will look out for and support stop vessels elsewhere, including in the Indo-Pacific region. That's our region, of course. Do you support the US doing that in the Indo-Pacific?
Foreign Minister: Well, at the moment we're in a situation where we want a ceasefire, we want the ceasefire to hold and we want negotiations to progress. And that is because we want de-escalation and we want the Strait opened. That is what is in Australia's national interest and what is in the interest of the broader international community. So, that will be our continued position, the position we will advocate to all.
Karvelas: Just finally in the Pacific, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister says that the PIF has invoked an emergency declaration over looming fuel shortages. Has Australia been consulted about this step?
Foreign Minister: We are engaging very closely with our Pacific friends and neighbours. We know this is a challenge for the region, it's a challenge for Australia and it's a challenge for the countries of the region, we'll continue to work together on this.
Karvelas: The PM has been told there is an idea to source emergency supplies from the US military to get to the region. That's the Solomon Islands Prime Minister, is this one of the ideas on the table?
Foreign Minister: Well, that's, I've not been briefed on such a plan, but we'll certainly be engaging with the Pacific about their needs going forward. This is a crisis that is affecting all of the countries of the world and particularly our region, for the reasons I outlined earlier. Most of the fuel that has been stopped as a consequence of the Strait not being open is fuel that was coming to the Indo-Pacific.
Karvelas: Foreign Minister, thank you for joining us.
Foreign Minister: Great to speak with you.