RUSSELL CLARKE, HOST: Prime Minister, good afternoon.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good to be here, mate. It's great to be back in Perth.
CLARKE: So, you went to Germany which was very important and then you had a rather important meeting in Lithuania in Vilnius for NATO.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: This morning the Cabinet has met and agreed with the recommendation from the Treasurer, supported by myself, that Michele Bullock be appointed as the ninth Reserve Bank Governor. Michele will be the first female Governor since the independent RBA was founded in 1959. After close to four decades of service to the RBA, most recently as the Deputy Governor, Ms Bullock is eminently qualified to lead this national institution.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: This morning, Australia and Germany have signed an agreement to deliver more than 100 Boxer Heavy Weapon Carriers from Australia to Germany. This is a deal worth over $1 billion, it is one of Australia's largest ever defence export deals in history. These will be produced in Queensland creating, of course, the 1000 jobs that are there at Rheinmetall in Brisbane. This is good for our defence, this is good for our national sovereignty, but it's also good for our economy.
Australia is steadfast in supporting Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion. Ensuring Ukraine can receive international assistance is a crucial part of that.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will deploy a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to Germany for approximately six months from October to help protect a vital gateway of international humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine. This deployment includes up to 100 crew and support personnel.
Prime Minister Albanese met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin today to advance the Australia-Germany relationship.
The leaders held positive discussions on boosting trade and investment, climate action and clean energy, and our defence and security cooperation.
The Australia-Germany relationship has never been stronger, and our economic partnership is increasingly important for Australia’s future prosperity and job creation in a time of global uncertainty.
It’s a pleasure to be in Berlin on my first official visit as Prime Minister.
And it’s great to join you this evening to talk about the opportunities ahead.
Germany and Australia have had a diplomatic relationship spanning 70 years.
During this time, Germany has transformed itself into the economic backbone of Europe.
And Australia has become a major player in resources and energy trade, with a vibrant and diverse economy.
My discussions with Chancellor Scholz earlier today were focused on the future ...
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I'm very pleased to have concluded a successful bilateral visit here in Germany before I depart to Lithuania to attend my second NATO Summit with my Indo-Pacific partners, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand. We'll be having our IP Four meeting tomorrow morning and then addressing the NATO Summit, in addition to that I have a range of bilaterals. Australia and Germany's partnership is an important one, and during this visit we've successfully concluded a range of issues for our mutual interest.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I'm very glad to have concluded my first day at the NATO Summit, although we have the dinner coming ahead this evening. And today we've had successful meetings with NATO leaders, and of course, their partners. This Summit meets in the context of Russia's illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. And the ongoing trauma that has caused the people of Ukraine is the most important issue.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I'm very pleased to be here at the second meeting of the Indo-Pacific Four on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. And Australia is here because we understand that in today's interconnected and globalised world, what occurs in NATO countries also has an impact on the Indo-Pacific. And we're reminded of the interconnectedness around the world with the once again, egregious launch of an ICBM by North Korea overnight.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's great to be here in Germany. And tomorrow morning, we will have the signing of the deal to deliver over 100 Boxer armed carriers here to Germany. This will be one of our largest ever exports. It will guarantee that the one thousand jobs that are there in Queensland will go into the future and will be worth in excess of $1 billion for the Australian economy. This will boost our sovereignty. This will increase our defence capability and boost our economy. This is a great outcome.