Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: This is a very auspicious and important year for our two countries with the 50th anniversary of the Japan-Australia treaty.
We are looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Takaichi to Australia for her visit to discuss where we have been and where we are going, as special strategic partners.
The Ambassador reminded me of the history today that the Treaty was struck in a period where both of our countries were also experiencing the energy shock in the 1970s. And whilst we would prefer it were not so, it reminds us that we've been partners for decades, special strategic partners, particularly in the context of energy security.
And as you said, Minister, Asia is the region that has been most heavily impacted by the crisis and by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and Australia recognises that energy security in our region is shared.
We are mutually dependent when it comes to energy, and we also continue to seek and provide mutual reliability. For example, the diesel, the jet fuel, the petrol that Australia receives from the region, imports from the region, including Japan, enables us to be a reliable exporter of LNG and food to the region and to Japan.
We place great importance on this partnership, on our continued coordination on energy security and our mutual reliability in the face of this crisis.
Media note: Imagery from the visit can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade media library.