: It's been a very productive day here at the G7. And I want to firstly thank Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, for the generous invitation for Australia to participate in the G7 - the second time that I've been able to participate. As the world is watching the developments in the Middle East, it is our collective responsibility to work together to uphold and defend security and economic prosperity. And the G7 brings together major economies and democratic countries. This morning, I met German Chancellor Merz. We met on the sidelines of the Papal inauguration Mass in Rome. But today we had our first bilateral. We discussed how we can deepen our economic and infrastructure ties through our Enhanced Strategic Partnership with further trade and business cooperation in the energy transition. We also reiterated our commitment to counter Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and the need to uphold international law.
I had a meeting this morning with US Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, which was a good opportunity to put forward Australia's position on tariffs. We also discussed how Australia can support the United States on critical minerals. Australia has endorsed the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan today, which increases cooperation to build standards-based markets, mobilise capital, and promote innovation. This opens up the prospect of further expansion of the Australian critical minerals and rare earths industry. And, as you'd be aware, we made a number of commitments over the last couple of years in this area, including production tax credits, including the strategic reserve that we announced during the election campaign.
Australia, of course, on critical minerals and rare earths, has essentially the periodic table and has, indeed, 36 of the critical minerals and rare earths that have been identified by the United States. We also met - and they participated in the latter meeting with the Treasury Secretary as well - the US Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, and US trade Representative Jamieson Greer. We made the point very clearly to the American Trade Representative and to the National Economic Council and to the Treasury Secretary that the FTA has delivered for both Australia and the United States for a couple of decades now. And that the United States has a 2:1 trade surplus in the US' favour since the 1950s.
I also had an excellent bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan. Japan and Australia share a Special Strategic Partnership which is closer than ever. And next year we will commemorate 50 years of a partnership and a relationship that we have. And we talked about doing something special to recognise that. Our long standing bilateral trade and investment ties are a key pillar of our relationship, and we also discussed our defence relationship, but also how we can collaborate on the net zero transition.
I also met my good friend, Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. We welcomed the progress that we have made to bolster the UK-Australia relationship, including under the Australia-UK Climate and Energy Partnership that we announced last year, including as well the Free Trade Agreement, which has been very effective in increasing two-way trade. And also, of course, our commitment to AUKUS. And we talked about Stephen Lovegrove's report, which is welcomed. And we discussed continuing to work together on both AUKUS Pillar I and AUKUS Pillar II. And Prime Minister Starmer invited me to the United Kingdom over the coming period.
I did express our appreciation for Prime Minister Starmer's personal leadership on Ukraine, along with President Macron. The work that they've been doing to put together the Coalition of the Willing is something that I've participated on phone hook-ups and at least two of those meetings that have been held virtually over recent months, including one during the election campaign. I note that Australia has announced further sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet today. And that mirrors announcements by other nations that are represented here.
The G7 session on energy security was an important opportunity to outline Australia's energy transition plans, our commitment to climate action, and our role as a trusted supplier of energy and critical minerals. I also spoke about Australia's leadership on AI and other transformative new technologies, which was the topic of the second session of the G7 and Partners.
We held trilateral discussions with President von der Leyen of the European Commission and President Costa of the European Council. And I'm pleased to announce today that we will commence negotiations on a Security and Defence Partnership with the European Union. We see this as an important framework for our current and future cooperation in areas like defence industry, cyber, and counter-terrorism. And we will have our respective Ministers progress that over coming weeks. But we hope to conclude those discussions pretty quickly.
In addition to that, over the day, I had discussions with President Macron of France, Prime Minister Modi of India, Prime Minister Ramaphosa of South Africa, Prime Minister Sheinbaum of Mexico, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, as well as saying g'day to a whole bunch of other people during the day. There's a real opportunity for Australia to engage with a range of partners. We're a trading nation. And a theme that we had in all of those discussions was, of course, the support for free and fair trade as well as the support for economic growth at a time which has been turbulent across a range of areas. Happy to take some questions. Hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on. You'll learn eventually, Andrew.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, has President Trump contacted you since cancelling your meeting, and what is your plan now to meet with the President?
PRIME MINISTER: No, he hasn't, but I spoke with key advisers to the President. The President has been engaged, obviously, with the circumstances around Iran and Israel. It's perfectly understandable the decision that he made, that meant that the meetings that were scheduled - not just with myself, but with India, Ukraine including President Zelenskyy, Mexico, and other countries - didn't go ahead today. But we're all mature about that. We understand the circumstances which are there. And we have agreed through our American friends that we'll reschedule the meeting.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, last night as President Trump was flying home he told media on the plane 'I did everything I had to do on the G7'. Do you take that as perhaps that Australia is not a priority at this G7 Summit?
PRIME MINISTER: Not at all. We're mature about the circumstances of what happened. It's perfectly understandable. We'll reschedule a meeting from time to time. That is what occurs.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, may I ask about your discussion with Kier Starmer and specifically in relation to the AUKUS pact? It has been reported that Keir Starmer and Donald Trump both backed (inaudible) out of their bilateral meetings. Did Mr. Starmer give you any sense that Donald Trump is, in fact, in favour of the AUKUS pact?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I've seen nothing to suggest otherwise. It's not to me to speak on behalf of others, whether it's President Trump or Prime Minister Starmer. But Prime Minister Starmer, of course, has made public statements and the US Defence Secretary has made a clear statement as well.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister I just wondered if there's at least disappointment, maybe some devastation in the fact that you built up for so long. You said the other day it took months of work to get this meeting with Donald Trump. And from what you're saying, there's no clear date for when you might meet. Do you have any sense of that yet? Do you have some significant disappointment that you failed to get the meeting this time?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we'll meet soon. And I'm sure that will occur. You know, from time to time, meetings are rescheduled. That's what happens.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister is the making the case for an exemption on a tariff or particular type of tariffs going to advance until you do meet the President, or is it going to continue through the - ?
PRIME MINISTER: No, that's progressing, including through officials. It was a good opportunity, the Treasury Secretary has met Jim Chalmers on two occasions previously. It was a real opportunity to meet three of the President's senior economic team together. And previously, as well, earlier on in the day to have a meeting with the Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer. He's been discussing things with Senator Farrell as well as with the Australian representatives here - in the United States in Washington D.C. So we'll continue to engage. Those discussions have taken place over a period of time. And we'll continue to engage constructively.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you weighing up now - given everything that's happening in the world, your ties with these allies - potentially consideration going to the NATO meeting?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, that's being considered.
JOURNALIST: Did you get a chance with the Americans today to put your case forward on defence spending?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, the priority - that wasn't a focus. The focus was very much - with the economic team - about tariffs and about trade and the economic position.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Jamieson Greer has been a vocal critic -
PRIME MINISTER: It's hard to hear. Sorry.
JOURNALIST: Jamieson Greer has been a vocal critic of trade restrictions with Australia particularly beef and the News Bargaining Code. Did those issues come up today? And, if so, what are the remedies that they're seeking in relation to those?
PRIME MINISTER: We discussed the News Bargaining Code. I explained the position of what it is, that it's not something that produces revenue for the Government. It's something that we want - the platforms to negotiate in good faith with the producers of product that they use to make money. And so, we put forward the News Bargaining Code. We think it is important. I outlined what the issues were and are with that and why we believe it should be given support. Importantly, it's not a tax paid to the Government. It's not something that produces revenue for us. Indeed, it produces revenue for you and the people in this room. And I think that's an important part of a democracy going forward.
JOURNALIST: On the Free Trade Agreement, it seems that both parties want to get a deal done as soon as possible. You said that yourself in the comments. I understand that Ursula von der Leyen is meant to come to Australia in the next few months. Is it your expectation that you'll be able to sign a deal or agree to something by then?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I'm hopeful, but we were close last time and didn't quite get there. So, unless the deal is in Australia's national interest, then we won't agree to it. But there are two or three issues, half of which have been resolved, I think, satisfactorily. We'll continue to put forward our view of an increase in the offer which is there for our sheep meat and our beef. We'll continue to engage constructively. And I am hopeful that we'll get a deal done. Importantly, both of us emphasise that, at this time, it's the substance is what's important. But at this time it's also symbolically important to see an outcome of an expansion of trade, because that is something that is, you know, going through difficult times at the moment.
JOURNALIST: Can I just follow that up? You said that some of the issues had been resolved. I know you hinted last time that the naming issues around naming conventions, are you saying that the EU has conceded on that?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm saying that there's sight of where the landing point could be. What tends to happen with this is that there are landing points identified, and they all come together. You know, you usually have a bit of give and take, and they're all either landed together or they're not. But it's pretty obvious, I think, the landing point on that.
JOURNALIST: Did Mr. Trump, sorry - did the senior officials from the US in your meetings this morning operate in consolation of Mr. Trump's absence and could you please clarify how you found out that the meeting would effectively not happen?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they made it very, you know - we made it clear. It's understandable what's occurring in the Middle East. President Trump has made very public the reasons why he went back to Washington. And there was a meeting of the NSC.
JOURNALIST: You mentioned that it wasn't just Australia that didn't get a meeting, other countries didn't get meetings, too, including Mexico. But the White House has confirmed that in the last 24 hours a phone call has taken place between the US President and the Mexican President. Would you appreciate a phone call as well from Donald Trump?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, you know, I'm not driven by issues like that. I'm driven - I understand that there's important things happening. And that's understandable at the moment. I'm mature about these things.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you've obviously had discussions with Sir Kier Starmer, with Frederick Merz, Chancellor Merz made some pretty strong comments about Israel doing the - I think he used the term the dirty work for other nations - in terms of dealing with Iran. Sir Kier Starmer has repositioned Tornado fighter jets in the Middle East. In the course of the meetings that you've had today, did any nation request Australia potentially sending, for example, naval assets to the region to provide support? And is that something the Australian Government is considering?
PRIME MINISTER: No. And what the discussions I've always had with our European friends always is, is they understand that our priority is where we are in the world. And so, no, is the clear answer to that.
JOURNALIST: Yeah, thanks Prime Minister. Have you reached out to Donald Trump to extend your support via text or whatever, as he deals, as he grapples with this big conflict in the Middle East? And Richard Marles overnight said that the Government had been briefed on this plan. So, Donald Trump says he's got something to plan that's much bigger than a ceasefire. So, can you affirm if you've been briefed or the Government's been briefed on that? And whether or not you've extended your support to Donald Trump?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, we have been briefed. And I don't talk about briefings in media conferences.
JOURNALIST: Secretary Bessent has, in the past, put forward America's case for tariffs, using your own language. Have you got a landing point with the Secretary or with the US on where Australia and America could come to the same point on tariffs, like you do with the EU?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, my clear point is that it's in the United States' interest because they have a trade surplus with Australia for that trade to not just continue but to be enhanced. And there are opportunities to do that across a range of issues that are in demand, including critical minerals and rare earths. But Australia continues to - importantly - continues to export to the United States. It's just that the purchasers of those goods and services are paying more for them. So, there hasn't been a decline year to year, for example, in beef exports, April this year to April last year, to the United States. It's just that there's an additional charge being paid by consumers. We talked about steel and aluminium as well. Aluminium represents around about 2 per cent of the imports to the United States. Steel is less than that. We talked about the role that BlueScope play, the fact that they want to have additional investment in Ohio. And that is currently subject to an impediment being there. So, it's very much in - there's about four and a half thousand employees of BlueScope in the United States of America. It's very much in the United States' interest to resolve this.
JOURNALIST: You said just earlier you're considering now going to NATO. Trump's going to NATO. Is this your plan now for a meeting with him next week?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I'm considering - I had discussions with a range of people over the last couple of days. Obviously, including, I met with the NATO Secretary General yesterday. He's well known to me, but I had discussions with others here as well. Thanks.
