Joint Statement Following Discussions With Prime Minister Holt of Australia.

AT THE INVITATION of President Johnson, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Right Honourable Harold E. Holt, has returned to Washington to continue the discussions which they held on subjects of mutual interest on June 29.

The President expressed his sincere appreciation for the Prime Minister's willingness to arrange travel arrangements to make their meeting possible.

The President and the Prime Minister reaffirmed the determination of their two Governments to assist the Republic of Vietnam and its people in their efforts to repel the armed aggression mounted against the Republic of Vietnam by the regime in Hanoi, and expressed full confidence that those efforts will be successful. They expressed again the desire of both Governments that the righting in South Vietnam be brought to an end as soon as possible through negotiation of an honorable peace, welcomed the initiative of the Prime Minister of India appealing to the Government of the USSR to reconvene a meeting of the Geneva powers and reaffirmed their readiness to take part in this or other negotiations whenever the Hanoi regime indicates a willingness to do so. President Johnson reviewed for the Prime Minister military developments in Vietnam during the past two weeks. The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for this review of recent events.

The Prime Minister discussed with the President his recent visit to London.

The President and the Prime Minister reviewed the political, economic and social progress and development which has occurred in Free Asia in recent years, most particularly in the first half of 1966, and agreed that these developments are of the greatest significance for the future of Asia, the Pacific area, and the world. The President and the Prime Minister noted that among these developments has been the healing of old quarrels between nations of the region, the recent establishment of the Asian and Pacific Council, the eminent formal inauguration of the Asian Development Bank in which both the United States and Australia are participating, and concrete steps toward the development of the Mekong Basin. The President and the Prime Minister described these events and the growing sense of regional identity in Asia and the Pacific area as most encouraging for the possibility of future peace and peaceful progress in the region. They expressed their belief that these developments have in no small measure been made possible by the shield of security provided to the region by the determination of the gallant people of Vietnam and those assisting them to repel Communist aggression.

The President and the Prime Minister noted with satisfaction the steady strengthening in the ties linking their two countries, particularly the flow of trade and investment, cooperation in exploring the mysteries of space, and common efforts in a broad range of other scientific projects.

The President and the Prime Minister agreed that there exist opportunities for further great undertakings in the peaceful development of Asia, and these opportunities will be greatly expanded when peace returns to the region.