Mr NUGENT —My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Can the minister inform the House of the government's response—

Mr Martin Ferguson interjecting—

Mr SPEAKER —I warn the member for Batman! The member for Aston will repeat his question.

Mr NUGENT —My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Can the minister inform the House of the government's response to North Korean developments?

Mr DOWNER (Foreign Affairs) —I thank the honourable member for his question. The honourable member for Aston always shows a very real interest in the serious side of international issues and, in particular, important policy questions. Honourable members will of course be aware that the Korean Peninsula is a security flashpoint in a region which is of immense importance to Australia. We have very much welcomed the advances that have been made in dialogue between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea over the last few months in the context of what is sometimes called the Perry review. I am especially pleased that a policy objective of the United States, which is certainly shared by Australia and other regional countries, that North Korea suspend long range missile tests has apparently been endorsed by the North Korean government. As a result of that, the United States is proposing to lift certain trade sanctions against North Korea.

When I was in New York on 27 September I met with the North Korean Foreign Minister, Mr Paek. That was the first ministerial level meeting between an Australian and a North Korean foreign minister in 24 years. During that meeting I did urge North Korea to do what it could to reduce tensions in North Asia. As a result of that meeting, North Korea has since invited Australian officials to Pyongyang for a further round of talks. We are discussing dates at the moment, but those talks are likely to take place some time during February.

Whether Australia moves in time towards the recognition again of the DPRK, and, importantly, the re-establishment of diplomatic relationships with the DPRK, is a matter which is still under consideration. What we absolutely want to do is to maintain the pressure that we can maintain on North Korea to make a very serious contribution to enhance regional security not only through the suspension of plans to conduct long range missile tests but also by abandoning various programs that North Korea has considered over the years for the development of weapons of mass destruction.

Let me say in conclusion to the honourable member's question that the Australian government has been of the view that we should make a humanitarian contribution to North Korea given the very serious humanitarian problems that certainly have existed there. I remind the House of the visit by the former member for Holt and the member for Griffith to North Korea during this year and their representations to me about the particularly dire situation of food supplies in North Korea. We announced on 16 May a $10 million humanitarian assistance program for North Korea. We will of course consider, as the months unfold during next year, whether there will be a need for us to provide any addition al assistance over and above what we are already committed to.

North Korea is not only a problem in terms of the regional security architecture but also an important component of our region. It is, I think, appropriate that Australia should, at the very least, have a constructive dialogue, or as constructive a dialogue as we can maintain, with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.