I am optimistic that peace can be achieved in the region because I believe that every society on earth can be free and that if freedom comes to the Middle East there can be peace.

Even in the darkest regions people have discovered their right of freedom.

My heart goes out to the brave citizens of Syria who each day risk and even sacrifice their lives to achieve freedom from a murderous regime. We in Israel welcome the historic struggle to forge democratic peace-loving governments in our region.

But Australia faces additional regional and global challenges also crucial to our nation's future - climate change questions of energy and food security the rise of China and the rise of India. And we need a strong system of global and regional relationships and institutions to underpin stability.

Local and regional food systems are about opportunity.

I don't think that anyone seriously fears that the world can be blown to pieces all together. But what one can fear and rightly so are regional things like in the Middle East India Pakistan the Korean Peninsula borders in Africa etc.

It wasn't glamorous in my day. In the regions reporters were seen as such low life that they didn't merit their name in the Radio Times. Now people are interested in being famous. I never gave it a thought.

Mr. Speaker I am deeply concerned that many regions of this world are suffering from the effects of armed conflicts with religious aspects. I believe that the differences of faith are not the real reason for these conflicts.

Bringing an end to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians may help the young Arab generation to realise their aspirations. Israel is more than willing to offer our experience in building a modern economy in spite of limited resources to the whole region.

The goal of the EU is to form a region of freedom security and justice. Freedom in this connection cannot be just the freedom of the strong but it must be combined with fraternity and equality.