[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4614-4615]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

             VISIT OF AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER KEVIN RUDD

 Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I would like to extend my sincere 
welcome to the Honorable Kevin Rudd, who is making his first trip to 
the United States as the newly elected Prime Minister of Australia. 
This is a historic visit during a time of transition for both our 
nations.
  Yesterday, I spoke with Prime Minister Rudd and congratulated him on 
his election as the first Labor Party Prime Minister in 11 years. I 
assured him of my personal commitment to maintaining a strong bilateral 
relationship between our nations in the years to come and discussed our 
common interest in advancing peace and prosperity for the people of the 
United States, Australia, and the world.
  The alliance between the United States and Australia is deep and 
strong and has stood the test of changing times. Labor Party leader 
John Curtain, along with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, established 
the United States-Australia alliance in 1942. Prime Minister Rudd's 
trip affirms the strategic value of this relationship and the 
friendship between our people, which has endured across generations and 
administrations.
  The United States-Australia alliance is a cornerstone of security and 
prosperity both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. Our two 
nations are bound by shared interests, shared values, and a common 
heritage--bonds that were forged in all major wars the United States 
was involved in during the 20th century, a distinction unique to 
Australia. And, as a new century dawns, we are beginning to write a new 
and important chapter in the bilateral relationship.
  Indeed, during his first press conference the day after his election, 
Prime Minister Rudd reiterated his strong commitment to the United 
States-Australia alliance, a deep commitment to a partnership of equals 
that I share.
  Like the United States, Australia is trans-Pacific in orientation, 
and for this reason our perspectives and perceptions about regional and 
global affairs are often tightly aligned. The United States benefits 
from an Australia that can act as a regional leader in East Asia but 
one with global interests and capabilities as well.
  The Prime Minister's visit provides an opportunity for the people of 
America to express our deep appreciation for Australia's contributions 
in combating al-Qaida. We will never forget that following the attacks 
on September 11, 2001, Australia invoked the ANZUS treaty in support of 
the United States.
  Australia has deployed some 1,000 troops in Afghanistan to the 
International Security Assistance Force, as well as about 1,500 combat 
and support troops in Iraq. Prime Minister Rudd has also demonstrated 
real leadership in tackling the critical global challenge of climate 
change. Within a few weeks of assuming office, the Prime Minister 
successfully pushed for the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol as one 
of the first official acts of his administration. He personally led 
Australia's delegation to Bali, Indonesia, to participate in 
international negotiations on a post-Kyoto protocol.
  In Asia, the quality of our alliance and scope of our diplomatic 
partnership shine brightly. We both face a rapidly evolving security 
order defined by traditional and nontraditional security problems. 
These include changing regional power dynamics and rivalries, 
territorial disputes, resource competition, terrorism, proliferation of 
weapons of mass destruction, failed states, environmental degradation, 
and pandemic diseases. Managing this complex blend of security 
challenges requires leveraging both bilateral and multilateral 
mechanisms.
  The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, organization, in which 
Australia took the lead in creating in 1989, has advanced economic 
liberalization and integration throughout the Asia-Pacific. Australia's 
involvement in the East Asia Summit since its inception is a welcome 
development. The Trilateral Security Dialogue among the United States, 
Australia, and Japan has become an important channel for coordinating 
policy and combining capabilities in addressing emerging security 
challenges in the Asia-Pacific.
  As the security order in Asia evolves, Australian participation, 
leadership, and defense of our common values and interests are critical 
to building open, inclusive, transparent, and flexible regional 
structures and arrangements. The new arrangements cannot replace 
America's bilateral alliances--alliances which are not directed at any 
one nation but which have served as the foundation for peace and 
stability in Asia

[[Page 4615]]

for nearly half a century. But these new mechanisms, building on our 
traditional alliances, can help sustain the conditions for Asia's peace 
and prosperity to continue.
  Prime Minister Rudd brings special skills and experiences to this new 
chapter in United States-Australia relations. His progressive domestic 
policy agenda, innovative and realistic diplomacy, and optimistic 
vision enrich the already solid base of our bilateral dialogue, 
reminding us that we can accomplish more when we listen to our friends 
and allies than when we lecture them.
  Prime Minister Rudd's visit is an opportunity to rededicate ourselves 
to the United States-Australia alliance and to our broader bilateral 
relationship. America's foreign policy, national security and economic 
interests gain greatly from the deep ties with our friends down 
under.

                          ____________________