Well, Prime Minister, a very warm welcome to you here in Australia and in Canberra. You are here for our Annual Leaders' Meeting, but most importantly to celebrate 50 years since the signing of our Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. This is a relationship with a foundation built on trust, on friendship, and on looking after each other's interests. It was a bipartisan initiative here in Australia, initiated by the Whitlam Labor Government, that then followed up by the Fraser Liberal Government. And the search for stability and economic cooperation in part came out of the turmoil created by the oil crisis in the 1970s. Once again, we are governing in what are volatile and difficult global economic circumstances, which just underlines how important the relationships between our nations are, between trusted friends and partners. And working together, we make ourselves stronger in defence and security issues, in energy, in economic and trade issues, as well as people-to-people exchanges. And in areas such as critical minerals, there's much more that we can do together. And I'm very pleased that we're elevating our Special Strategic Partnership across the breadth of our relationship, bringing peace, stability, and security to the region. So, I congratulate you on your significant election victory, and I look forward to continuing to work with you. We've met now on a number of occasions after your elevation to the prime ministership. This is an important relationship, and I know that your love for Australia is shown by the fact that you had your honeymoon here. So, I look forward to the meetings that we will have today, which will be important, building on our friendship and the relationship between our two nations, but I also look forward to our personal relationships being developed, including hosting you for dinner this evening at the Prime Minister's residence here in Canberra.
SANAE TAKAICHI, PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN: Anthony, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for your kind words of welcome. As you mentioned earlier, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Japan and Australia, known in Australia as the Nara Treaty. Over these 50 years, our two countries have deepened our cooperation as core partners of like-minded country coordination and as stabilising forces in our region. As the international situation becomes increasingly severe and complex, I have long advocated for the importance of cooperation among like-minded countries. Australia is a top runner in such cooperation. Under the vision of the updated FOIP that I announced in Vietnam the day before yesterday, I would like to see Japan and Australia working together to lead toward peace and stability in our region. Thank you very much for your kind words on our election. I understand you also had a big win last year. Congratulations on that. I also would like to give congratulations for your marriage to Ms Jodie Haydon. My honeymoon destination was actually to the Great Barrier Reef, and I did scuba diving with my husband. I hope that you will visit with Ms Jodie to Nara in Japan as well. With the next 50 years in mind, I would like to work together with you and Australia to elevate Japan-Australia relations. Thank you.
