Tony Abbott praises links with Japanese

TONY Abbott praised the depth of Australia’s relationship with Japan as almost “spiritual”, after arriving in Myanmar.

TONY Abbott praised the depth of Australia’s relationship with Japan as almost “spiritual”, after arriving in Myanmar for an ASEAN meeting.

The Prime Minister met Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Myanmar democracy heroine Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy, after arriving in Naypyidaw from Beijing yesterday.

The Australian leader, meeting Mr Abe for the fifth time in 12 months, said the Australia-Japan relationship was “a spiritual relationship, almost, in the depth of the links between our two countries”.

Mr Abe said meetings between the two countries’ leaders had ­always been “very productive and meaningful”.

At a special summit meeting last night with the 10 ASEAN leaders, to mark Australia’s 40 years as ASEAN’s longest standing “dialogue partner”, Mr Abbott undertook to further improve security relations with Southeast Asia.

He said Australia already was a trusted security partner of many ASEAN members.

“My objective as Australia’s Prime Minister is to do everything I can to ensure that this region of ours, this region we share, is not only one of the most economically dynamic but also one of the most harmonious.”

He said the government would establish an Australia-ASEAN Council to promote people-to-people, institution-to-institution and business-to-business linkages.

He also announced a “Mekong business initiative” to promote small businesses in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

In the 40 years since Australia became ASEAN’s first dialogue partner, Mr Abbott said, two-way trade between them had increased 80 times to $92 billion annually and two-way investment stood at $155 billion.