Joint Declaration on the Australia-Japan Partnership

May 26, 1995

The Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan declare:

1. Fifty years on from the end of the War, Australia and Japan have a relationship of unprecedented quality. The Governments of Australia and Japan reaffirm the importance they place on the close relationship of goodwill and cooperation that they have built up over the post-war years. They pledge to build on that foundation an enduring and steadfast partnership.
2. The Governments of both Australia and Japan, and the private sectors of both countries, have worked closely in developing the relationship. The exchange of prime ministerial visits in 1957, the signing of the bilateral Commerce Agreement in the same year and the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in 1976 were milestones in establishing the foundations of the existing partnership. Active dialogue, including heads-of-government-level visits and meetings of the Australia-Japan Ministerial Committee have been important in giving vitality and direction to the relationship.
3. Australia and Japan recognise the great contribution that each country has made to the other's post-war economic development. Australia has made a crucial contribution to Japan's economy as a leading supplier of industrial raw materials and energy. It now also provides a growing range of advanced goods and services. For many years, Japan has been Australia's leading trading partner and a major source of investment and technology. It has made a vital contribution to Australia's national development and economic well-being. Cooperation between Australian and Japanese companies in third countries is also expanding.
4. The Governments of Australia and Japan will work to further strengthen their bilateral economic relationship as the structures of their economies change including in response to regional economic developments and globalisation. They value existing complementarities in their trade patterns and place importance on encouraging two-way investment between the two countries so as to promote continuing diversification of their economic relationship.
5. The two Governments will nurture the spirit of friendship that characterises their relationship. People-to-people links, fostered over decades through business, education, tourism and cultural contacts have made a profound contribution to the relationship. Both countries will strive to bring their peoples even closer together, particularly through educational and cultural exchanges for young Australians and Japanese.
6. As partners in the Asia Pacific, the two Governments are determined to work with other countries in the region in promoting prosperity, reducing tension and enhancing political cooperation. Individually and in partnership, they will play an important part in achieving these objectives. The Government of Japan welcomes Australia's decision to create its future in the region and reaffirms that Australia is an indispensable partner in regional affairs.
7. Australia and Japan are proud of their roles in the development of a sense of community in the Asia Pacific region. The two Governments pledge their commitment to APEC as the primary vehicle of regional economic cooperation. Both Governments are committed to cooperating closely to ensure the success of the Osaka meeting and to realising the objectives of the Bogor Declaration as enunciated at the APEC Leaders' Meeting last year. Australia and Japan share a vital interest in the maintenance and strengthening of the open multilateral trading system and in the effective operation of the WTO.
8. The Governments of Australia and Japan reaffirm their strong support for the United States' presence and strategic engagement in the Asia Pacific as being of fundamental importance to the peace and prosperity of the region. The Governments of Australia and Japan will cooperate in developing the ASEAN Regional Forum and will further strengthen their own security dialogue.
9. The Governments of Australia and Japan will continue to contribute actively, both individually and in partnership, in such areas as the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the activities of the United Nations in international peace and security including its peacekeeping role, social and economic development and human rights. Australia supports Japan's adopting an international role commensurate with its weight in world affairs, including as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
10. The Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan pledge the full support of their Governments to the purpose of the declaration--to build an enduring and steadfast partnership which is a strong positive force for cooperation in the Asia Pacific region.