Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Can I say Minister Wadephul, it is so wonderful to welcome you to Canberra and to Australia. Your visit reflects the strong relationship between our countries and the growing importance of our partnership in what we know is not only a rapidly changing world, but an increasingly challenged world. We're middle powers, and we know that by working together, by building coalitions and partnerships, we work to manage the change that we are all experiencing and to deliver better outcomes for our people.
We have an Enhanced Strategic Partnership, and we are strengthening our cooperation across many areas: defence, security, trade and investment, the transition to cleaner and cheaper energy, and of course deepening the ties between our people. Your visit is such an important part of this. I'm looking forward to talking with you about what more we can do together, how do we work together to support economic security, how do we work together to counter misinformation and disinformation, how do we build regional resilience. And of course, we have a particular interest in working with you in assuring a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Germany is a really valued partner in the Pacific, and I know you've just been to Tonga and I really welcome that visit. I'm told it's 150 years of bilateral ties, which is really quite remarkable. And we also welcome your establishment of diplomatic ties with Niue.
Thank you also for your condolences on behalf of the people of Germany following the horrific terrorist attack at Bondi. I know we stand together against antisemitism and terrorism as well as hatred and discrimination in all their forms. I reiterate, Australia stands with Germany in support of Ukraine, in the defence of sovereignty, freedom and security of the European continent. We want to see a just and lasting peace on Ukraine's terms, a peace that upholds Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, that supports security and stability in Europe and ensures that Russia does not renew its aggression.
Johann, Australia values Germany as a close friend and as a strategic partner in shaping the region that we want and, as importantly, shaping the world that we want to see. So welcome here, thank you so much for coming.
Johann Wadephul, Germany's Foreign Minister: Thank you Penny for having me and the whole delegation and for the experience of Tim Tams, which is my new recommendation to all of you who are interested and who love chocolate products.
This is my fourth trip to the Indo-Pacific, and it was overdue to make it to Australia because - you just described it once again - we share values, we share interests. We have an enhanced strategic cooperation. And it's in all these relations, we have to work for it, to keep it on that very level. This is very important for Germany because in a world of uncertainties, you're looking for reliable partners with whom you can work together. Australia is, for Germany, a long-standing, very reliable partner. And this is the very purpose of my visit right now that we stand together.
Thank you for your words on Ukraine, especially in these days where it's very, very cold In Ukraine and Putin is attacking, especially civilians. The electricity has fallen down. The heating system is not working anymore. To have a partner right here, down under, as we say on the other side of the world, who understands what is at stake in Europe is very positive. We value that, and we are very grateful for that, because at the end of the day, we have to defend the international rules-based system. We have to defend the United Nations as our peace organisation, and doing this side by side, shoulder to shoulder with Australia is very important in these times.
I'm looking forward to our conversation this evening, and especially also tomorrow, because for us, questions of security, of economic security, become more and more important. We have to diversify. We have to have a policy of derisking, and we have to have a policy which emboldens us - Germany and the European Union - to withstand all the pressure we do feel from big powers in order to preserve not only our economic but especially our political independence, and doing that aligned with Australia is very positive, and we are very grateful for that. So once again, thank you for having me. Thank you
