ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I'm very pleased to be here in Brunei on my first official visit, and there's no more important time to engage with our neighbours than the current time. The conflict in the Middle East is a long way away, but it's having an impact particularly in Asia, in our own region, because of the relationship of suppliers that come through the Strait of Hormuz and that disruption that has occurred and the uncertainty that is there with regard to a resolution to this conflict. Australia wants to see a de-escalation. We want to see talks between the United States and Iran resume, and we want to see a resumption of normal economic activity that is so important for the global economy. Australia and Brunei have a very positive relationship. We are Brunei's largest trading partner, and that is the context of the welcome that we had here from His Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei. Who welcomed us here and who I've just had my seventh meeting with as Prime Minister, including twice hosting His Majesty in Australia since I've been elected as Prime Minister.
We are both feeling, of course, the consequences, as are countries right around the world, about changes to supply. And Australia has a lot to benefit from engaging with our neighbours in this region. Brunei supplies nine per cent of Australia's diesel imports, and more than that, 11 per cent of our fertiliser-grade urea imports. Today, at the Brunei Fertilizer Industries, we had the opportunity to talk firsthand about the potential that's there as well for an increase in Australia receiving fertiliser in particular from Brunei and we had very positive discussions and that will continue. It will continue in the context as well of the agreed Joint Statement on Energy and Food Security that was signed by myself and His Majesty. This underscores our commitment to ensuring that essential goods continue to flow between our countries. And that guarantee which is there will make a difference as well to provide that certainty by building regional cooperation on energy, security and economic resilience. We strengthen our fuel security, and we strengthen the economies in our region as well.
There's just one further thing before I turn to the Foreign Minister, which is to reaffirm the announcement that's been made by Minister Bowen, which follows last week's announcement that we made in Brisbane about using Export Finance Australia, EFA, to underwrite the purchase of additional fuel loads from around the world. From spot markets that are available, but that require additional government support in order to give businesses, the private sector the confidence to be able to go out there and participate in this market. Last week, we announced Viva and Ampol had come to agreements with EFA. And today we're partnered with IOR and Park Fuels to enable them to be able to secure additional fuel into the Australian market. Now, this is particularly important because these smaller companies are particularly focused on regional Australia. And one of the things that we know is that some of the shortages which we have seen have particularly been in regional Australia, so giving them that security as well. This isn't business as usual. This is in addition to the normal flow that would come into Australia. Literally shiploads of additional fuel are getting here to Australia, targeted to regional communities where it is most needed. I'll turn to the Foreign Minister, then happy to take a couple questions.
SENATOR PENNY WONG, FOREIGN MINISTER: Thank you, Prime Minister, and it is great to be back here in Brunei with the Prime Minister on this visit. And I last visited here in, I think, 2022 as part of our work over the last term to strengthen our relationships in Southeast Asia. I've been very pleased to meet again with my friend Dato Erywan, the Foreign Minister, as well as the Prime Minister having the opportunity to engage for the seventh time with His Majesty the Sultan. I want to make a couple of comments about the context of this visit, which obviously is energy security. And energy security is central to our cooperation. What this visit is about is recognising the challenges that the world faces and the region faces as a consequence of the conflict in the Middle East and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz. And we know, as the Government has said, even if the ceasefire does return, and we do wish, we do call for that, that global supply pressures will continue for some time.
So, the Prime Minister's engagement here in Brunei and in Singapore and in Malaysia is about making sure we have strong, reliable and trusted partnerships for us to navigate what may be a longer economic tail of this conflict. The statement that was signed today reflects that willingness to work with each other on our shared security, on energy security, on food security, the recognition that the urea and diesel that we seek, we import from Brunei and that we continue to seek comes back to the region as food. That is very well understood here. And what this demonstrates is the willingness of Australia and Brunei on the back of the announcement the Prime Minister made in Singapore to have regional partners work together at these challenging times. Thank you.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you said that there was some guarantee that was struck today. That word isn't used in the statement that was issued. It just says that Australia and Brunei will work together, you're committed to strengthening energy and food security. Can you clarify what exactly was guaranteed?
PRIME MINISTER: What's guaranteed is that they are not looking at imposing export restrictions on Australia. And as we go forward, of course, in today's uncertain world, there are pressures on all of the economies in the region. But what Australia has done is to, not only did we speak today about existing supplies coming, we spoke about additional supplies as well. And so, the work will continue between our High Commission here and between - I have the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet here as well, and talking with their counterparts in the Brunei government about ways in which we can secure additional supplies, particularly of fertiliser, in return for, of course it goes back to Brunei as food. That's the benefit that we have here.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the IMF has warned of the risk of a global recession. I'm curious if that is a fear that you're hearing from other leaders that you're engaging with. And separately, there are reports today that Australia is due to receive its final pre-war shipment of fuel from the Middle East this weekend. Does that mean that we start to get into the danger zone for suppliers from that area after the weekend?
PRIME MINISTER: What we have said, I think the figure yesterday that Minister Bowen gave was in the 50s of the number of ships that were on-water due to arrive in Australia. So, we have shipments that are due to continue certainly well beyond the weekend. And in addition to that, we've made very clear and transparently there were six ships that were cancelled for April that were due to arrive, and of those, they've been replaced by nine. Now, in addition to that as well, the work that the EFA are doing is meaning that we can add to that supply going forward. With regard to the discussions I've had with leaders, there is a great deal of consternation, understandably, about the impact that this Middle East conflict is having. You can't take that much supply out of global supply without having consequences for the global economy. So, international organisations will make those assessments.
We continue to monitor on a regular basis, and we are doing what we can right across the board to shield Australia as best as we can from the impact of this global action, but we're not immune from it. As I said in my statement to the nation, that we cannot make, ourselves, like every other nation, is being impacted by this. What we can do though is to not retreat from action, is step forward with further action. That's what we've done with the changes that we made to supply by changing the fuel requirements to allow more diesel and petrol to be able to be distributed that would normally only be available for export. That's what we've done with the agreements that we've struck through EFA. And now we are hearing positive signs about the work that those companies are doing to secure those additional shiploads as well, and we hope to have further announcements about that once they are secured. But we have been as well making sure that we engage in our region with our partners, with our suppliers, to make sure that as far as is possible, we restrict any impact on Australia.
JOURNALIST: Brunei may be a major fuel and fertiliser supplier to Australia, but it also has a somewhat chequered human rights record. For example, the punishment for homosexuality here is death by stoning. How do you square the need for more fuel from Brunei with Australia's obligations to uphold human rights, particularly in our region?
PRIME MINISTER: Australia engages constructively in our region, including with Brunei. We continue to do so, and Australia speaks up on human rights issues in global forums. What we discussed today was the fuel needs and security needs of Australia, as shown in the statement that we released.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we're here today because of a war launched by President Trump. Your government appears to not want to join any US-led blockade, but what about other efforts that are perhaps proposed by the UK or France? Could we deploy if a country like that set up the coalition?
PRIME MINISTER: There are discussions taking place. We have said that we want the Strait of Hormuz to be open and we've been a signatory, along with other countries, to statements along those lines. We want safe passage of trade. That is in Australia's interest. We're a trading nation. One in four of our jobs is dependent upon trade.
FOREIGN MINISTER: We've made that clear that we support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as do many other countries. And you might recall that I joined a meeting convened by the United Kingdom of some 40 plus countries. We continue to engage as the Deputy Prime Minister has made clear with the United Kingdom, with France, with all countries, including the US, in terms of making sure post the conflict, we can see a return to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
JOURNALIST: The leaders of France and the UK made it sound like these talks will be at leader level. Is that your understanding?
FOREIGN MINISTER: We've had discussions at Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Minister level. We've had discussions at Foreign Minister level. We'll continue to engage constructively.
PRIME MINISTER: And I continue to engage with a range of leaders constructively, have good relations with leaders, and that is part of my job and what Australians would expect. Thanks very much.