Flag of France  Joint statement of strategic partnership between
Australia and France  In order to mark 170 years of unbroken
friendship between Australia and France, which began with the
opening of the first French consulate in Australia in 1842, and
in recognition of the historical links that underlie current
bilateral relations, Mr. Kevin Rudd, Minister for Foreign
Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Mr. Alain Juppé,
Ministre d'Etat, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of
the French Republic, have issued the following joint statement,
the purpose of which is to establish a strategic partnership
between Australia and France.  Australia and France are both
committed to democratic values and human rights. They share a
common aspiration for a fairer, safer and more socially
responsible world.   Mindful of the shared values that draw them
together and the convergence of their interests across the
globe, including in the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions,
Australia and France are entering into a s