ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to go to a news conference at the State Department, where Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell have just met with their counterparts from Australia. And we're going to listen to what they have to say.</s>COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: This annual meeting reinforces the strong ties between our two countries, and never have these ties been stronger. Since September 11, 2001, Australia has stood with us in the global campaign against terror, and the vicious terrorist attack in Bali on October 12, which took so many Australian lives, has only steeled our shared resolve. In this time of mourning, our hearts go out to the courageous people of Australia, who time and again have been our ally in war, our partner in peace and a force for freedom around the globe. The attack in Bali has placed our ministerial discussions in even sharper focus, and our discussions covered the full range of issues, from Southeast Asia to Iraq, from regional security to missile defense and, of course, the global war on terrorism. Given our shared values, it should not be surprising that there is a great depth of cooperation, similarity of objectives and broad harmony of views between our two countries. We both recognize, for example, that the political and economic challenges facing Indonesia will be...</s>NEVILLE: OK, we're going to come back to that news conference momentarily. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Secretary of State Meets Australian Counterparts