U.S. – Australia Relations

Rice To Travel to Indonesia, Australia January 7-12

Washington, D.C. — 3 January 2006

(Trip to focus on tsunami recovery, bird flu, greenhouse gas emissions) (390)

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Indonesia and Australia January 7-12 to participate in bilateral and multilateral meetings, according to the State Department.

According to a January 3 statement, Rice's visit to Indonesia will focus on support for that country's democratic development. Rice also will meet with Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to discuss progress on tsunami recovery efforts and measures to prevent or respond to the threat of avian influenza, or bird flu.

In Australia, the secretary will hold a ministerial session of the U.S.-Japan-Australia Trilateral Strategic Dialogue, the statement says.

The trilateral discussions are part of a periodic multilateral dialogue on counterterrorism and other related issues. Since December 2004, the three countries have cooperated closely on the war on terrorism and on their response to the tsunami disaster.

Rice also will participate in the first Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate with Australia, China, India, Japan and South Korea, the statement says.

Announced July 2005, the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate will focus on achieving greater cooperation on the development and transfer of technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Following is the text of the statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
January 3, 2006

STATEMENT BY SEAN MCCORMACK, SPOKESMAN

Secretary of State Rice's Travel to Australia and Indonesia

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Indonesia and Australia January 7-12, 2006.

Secretary Rice's visit to Indonesia will focus on support for Indonesia's democratic development. The Secretary will meet with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his ministers to discuss our cooperation on preventing and responding to the threat of avian influenza and a review of progress in Indonesia's recovery from last year's tsunami.

In Australia, the Secretary will hold a Ministerial session of the U.S.-Japan-Australia Trilateral Strategic Dialogue with her Australian and Japanese counterparts. She will participate in the first Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate with the Governments of Australia, China, India, Japan, and Korea.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Original document from Washington Hyperfile [EPF203].

Last update: Monday, 19 November 2007 GMT+1000