The Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Spring, has had talks this week with the Australian Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, focusing on EU Australia relations.
Mr Spring gave the keynote address to the Sydney based Lansdowne Club where he met three former prime ministers, Mr Gough Whitlam, Mr Bob Hawke and Mr Paul Keating. The Tanaiste made a special presentation to Mr Keating, on behalf of the Lansdowne Club, to mark his achievement as Australia's most recent prime minister with an Irish origin.