SITIVENI RABUKA, PRIME MINISTER OF FIJI: Well, it is a great honour for us to receive the Prime Minister of Australia, and the people and the Government of Fiji would like to congratulate him on his most successful return. Well done, and we were really flattered, honoured, when he called me a few hours after he was sworn in on his way out to visit the President of Indonesia. And our first visitor straight after that was Foreign Minister, Penny Wong. Thank you.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Well, thank you so much, Prime Minister. And I wanted to make sure that one of my first visits after the re-election was here to the Pacific, because we are a Pacific family, and Fiji play such a critical role in the region. You are a great friend of Australia. Next month for about, 80 minutes, plus injury time -
PRIME MINISTER RABUKA: We will forget about it.
PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE: We will forget about the friendship, there in Newcastle in July. But at all other times, we are great friends. The Vuvale friendship and partnership, which we hope to extend. We in Australia understand that in today's uncertain world, what we need is partners and friends that we can rely on who are trusted - and you, my friend, are a trusted partner and friend of Australia. And Australia has a very warm friendship, I must say, here in the hotel so far, 100 per cent of people I have met have been Australian. In the next election campaign. I think I'll door knock here in Fiji in order to meet people from right across Australia who have come here to enjoy the warm weather and importantly, the hospitality of your wonderful people.
PRIME MINISTER RABUKA: Thank you very much. Thank you. I think we have quite a few over there in Australia, and you might see me there and not realise I’m there though.
PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE: Big population in my local electorate in the Inner West, a very large Fijian population. And they, of course, make an amazing contribution to our great nation. And on my last visit here, remember I got sung to by these amazing women who were going to work in aged care in Australia and make that contribution as well. So this is a relationship about defence and security, about our economy, but most importantly, about our people.
PRIME MINISTER RABUKA: Thank you, thank you very much.
JOURNALIST: Can I ask a question about Israel? Israel ordered strikes on Iran. I wanted to ask, is now the time Australia will take stronger action on Israel?
PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE: We are very aware of what has occurred, and it is concerning, any escalation in the region. My message to Australians is that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is upgrading, very soon, the messages to Australians about warning about travel to the region. We want to see a dialogue. We, of course, are very conscious of the threat that Iran becoming a nuclear state would represent to peace and security in the region as well. We want to see these issues resolved through dialogue. And the United States has been playing an important role there.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you concerned about the United States review of the AUKUS agreement? Is it possible that the federal government would bring forward existing defence spending in a sign of good faith to the United States?
PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE: Well, the United States as an incoming government is having a review, just like the Australian Government did with our Defence Strategic Review. And just like the government of Keir Starmer in the United Kingdom had as well. We are very confident though, that AUKUS is in the interests of all three of our nations, and that it will play an important role in peace, security and stability around the world at a time when that is absolutely necessary.