Politics May. 06, 2008 - 05:18AM JST ( 4 )

SYDNEY —

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith embarked on a three-city Asian tour on Monday, saying he expected to voice Canberra’s opposition to whaling during talks with Japan.

Smith rebuffed criticism that the Labor government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who did not stop in Tokyo during a world tour in March and April, was too strongly focused on China.

The foreign minister, who will also stop in Hong Kong and South Korea during his trip, said that Rudd would visit Japan twice this year, for the G-8 summit and bilateral talks.

He said he was confident that whaling—a key issue of difference between Canberra and Tokyo—would be discussed when he met with his Japanese counterpart Masahiko Komura.

“I’m sure in the course of conversations, whaling will come up,” he told reporters.

“And I’ll again be putting the view of the Australian government and the Australian people to my counterpart, and I expect that again it’ll be an issue in respect of which we agree to disagree.”

Smith said his visit to Japan underlined the importance of the economic, security and strategic partnership between the nations, and followed on his visit in January.

“North Asia is a very important region to us,” he said.

“I wanted to go to Korea to make contact with the new administration, and it made sense to turn that visit into a regional visit with both Hong Kong and Japan.”

The minister said talks in Tokyo would focus on the Two Plus Two Forum—the annual gathering of Australian and Japanese foreign and defense ministers—and the possibility of a trilateral meeting with the United States.

In Hong Kong, Smith will meet with Chief Executive Donald Tsang, and in Seoul will visit President Lee Myung-Bak and Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan.

“We have a new government in Korea and a new government in Australia, and we’re very confident that we can take a very good relationship to a new level,” Smith said.

“Korea is a very important economic and trading partner, but also a very important partner for Australia in the North Asia region. So I’m very much looking forward to the first contact with the new Korean administration.”

AFP