Abu Dhabi: The UAE and Australia share a firm friendship that is expressed in a dynamic relationship, a commitment to trade and investment, an enthusiasm for strong people-to-people ties and shared strategic interests in the security, stability and development of the Gulf region, Australia’s former prime minister said on Wednesday.
Julia Gillard, the country’s first woman prime minister, said the UAE hosts the Australian Defence Force Headquarters for the Middle East — “our base, which has been pivotal to our role in the war in Afghanistan, in aiding the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Aden and in strengthening maritime security in this region.”
“I acknowledge the courage and commitment your nation has also shown in the fight in Afghanistan. It is one practical expression of the friendship between our two countries,” Gillard told the audience at a lecture organised by the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research.
Gillard said the total joint trade now exceeds $5 billion (Dh18.3 billion) annually, citing two larger stories behind these numbers:
“First, they involve people. Over 16,000 Australians are living and working here in industries and economic sectors that are vital to the UAE’s future: health, education, financial services and construction. Indeed the UAE is the 11th largest overseas host country for Australians in the world. I think we should jointly aim to see the UAE burst into the top ten.”
350 Australian companies operate in the UAE and around 1,000 students from the UAE study in Australian universities.
Gillard said Abu Dhabi has also hosted Australian V8 Supercars. “Any two nations that can jointly enjoy V8 Supercars surely cannot have strategic differences. As important as the V8 Supercars are, airplanes are pretty important too. The airline of Australia, Qantas, in 2012 forged a strategic partnership with Emirates Airline and the results have been exceptional indeed,” she said.
Gillard said passenger traffic at the Dubai International Airport to and from Australia was up over 38 per cent as a result of the tie with Qantas.
Nearly 200,000 Australians visited Dubai in 2013. There are 140 flights per week between Australia and the Gulf, one every 72 minutes.
She added Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia are enjoying a partnership that is also showing great success with 28 weekly flights out of Abu Dhabi to Australia each week and this year seeing new flights daily to Perth.
Speaking of human ties in times of need, Gillard said the people of Queensland have not forgotten — “and I have not forgotten” — the very generous donation, in the wake of the devastating floods and cyclone in Queensland in 2010-11, of $30 million by Abu Dhabi, to build ten Category 5 cyclone shelters that can protect up to 800 people. “This was an extraordinary act of friendship from a good and trusted friend,” Gillard said.
“On another front, Australia was well represented here last April at the Global Vaccine Summit hosted by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad [Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi] and conducted together with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
“I was very pleased that our young Australian of the Year, Akram Azimi, a refugee from Afghanistan, who had been vaccinated by an Australian Aid programme, was able to attend. His experience shows that the world working together can eradicate polio and I am proud that as prime minister I ensured our nation made a substantial new commitment to this life-saving work,” Gillard said.
Gillard added the second story behind the economic numbers is the diversification of both our economies.
“For the UAE, a significant part of the future is an expansion of the economy from petroleum into a wider array of business activity. In this diversifying economy and particularly in its services sector, especially education, Australia can play a larger role. We can help equip the next generation of Emiratis to build a more diversified economy at home,” she said.
Gillard said under her prime ministership in 2012 “our two countries signed a Nuclear Cooperation Agreement — enabling the UAE to become Australia’s first Middle Eastern export market for uranium. This agreement reflects the confidence we have in the UAE and its adherence to international norms regarding non-proliferation. This is a signal achievement.”
The former prime minister said the two countries were working towards a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Australia.
Gillard added the UAE emphatically supported Australia’s bid to win a seat on the Security Council and Australia supported the permanent establishment of the headquarters for the International Renewable Energy Agency here in Abu Dhabi — where Irena is now located.
Gillard said under the government she led, her country first indicated support for Dubai’s successful World Expo 2020 campaign and that the current government followed through with Australia’s vote.
