The Hon. John Howard MP Prime Minister of Australia

Australia

It is with great pleasure that I welcome visitors to the Australian pavilion at World Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan.

Australia has much to offer the East Asia region and the world. Australia is a country with a strong and forward-looking economy, a diverse and well-educated society and an innovative and technologically sophisticated workforce. The Australian pavilion at Aichi 2005 will showcase to Japan and the world our competitive in-dustry, our diverse art and culture, our unique environment, our world-class educational institutions and our desirability as a tourist destination. This publication makes an important contribution to Australia’s presence at Aichi.

Australia’s participation in the 2005 Aichi World Exposition is a reflection of the fundamental importance of our bilateral relationship with Japan. Over the past 50 years our two nations have become increasingly integrated, forming a strategic economic partnership. Japan remains Australia’s largest export market, and we have seen impressive growth in two-way trade in goods and services.

Cultural links between Australia and Japan have grown in tandem with our maturing economic relationship and we now have an impressive range of high-level cultural and pol-itical exchanges. During my visit to Japan in July 2003, Prime Minister Koizumi and I reaffirmed both our nations’ commitment to a vigorous and dynamic partnership by signing a Trade and Economic Framework that will set the agenda for further growth.

Australia’s relationship with the Aichi Prefecture and the Chubu region is indicative of the depth and breadth of our relationship with Japan. Toyota’s successful investment in Victoria is just one outstanding example. The Aichi-Victoria sister state relationship is celebrating 25 years in 2005 and Nagoya, the host city of the Expo, has been sister city with Sydney for a similar period. Many of the towns, schools and ports in Aichi Prefecture also have sister relations in Australia.

I would like to thank the organisers, sponsors and participants for their significant contributions to the Aust-ralian pavilion at Aichi. Your participation will play an invaluable role in enhancing our political, commercial and personal partnerships with our friends in Japan and the world.

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