Opening Remarks - Bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

Speech
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
Prime Minister

PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well, thank you very much for the welcome on my second visit to Japan as Prime Minister. It is important that Australia show our condolence to yourself as Prime Minister, but also to the people of Japan on the tragic loss of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. He was very well respected. And as an international statesperson, it is clear that the Quad Leaders’ dialogue would not have occurred without his leadership. The relationship between Australia and Japan is so important and that importance is underlined by the fact that I am here as the sitting Prime Minister, even though our Parliament is sitting. I have brought with me as well, former Prime Ministers Turnbull, Abbott and Howard. So you have a very high-level attendance to pay our respects and show our respects to not just Mr Abe’s family but to the people of Japan. We share such common interests in particular for a free and open Indo-Pacific which is so important that we continue to work together and to work with our partners as well to advance that common interest.