Key Points
- Anthony Albanese said Australia had lost a true friend after the former Japanese PM was fatally shot on Friday.
- Mr Albanese said flags in Australia will fly at half mast to pay respect to the late Shinzo Abe.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot on Friday.
Mr Albanese said that Australia has "lost a true friend" in Mr Abe.
"Mr Abe faced all of his challenges with strength of character and an unbending resolve," Mr Albanese said at a press conference on Saturday.
"He did not flinch, he did not weaken. And that is the cruel paradox of the tragedy that unfolded yesterday.
Mr Albanese said Mr Abe "understood instinctively the values that Australia and Japan share of democracy and human rights and the shared interest we have in bolstering the global rules based order".
"His vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific had a profound effect on regional and global security and informing the Quad," he said.
"Japan has lost a true patriot and a true leader, and Australia has lost a true friend."
Mr Albanese had earlier released a with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden paying tribute to Mr Abe.
He described Friday's shooting as an act of "extreme cowardice" and conveyed condolences to the Japanese people.
"The precious democracy that you have built is stronger than this. The values that we share and that hold our societies together our stronger than this. A hand that is raised in violence can never overpower what so many hands have built in peace," he said.
"To the broader Japanese family, your Australian friends share in your sorrow and we share in your grief. We stand with you in this time of sadness."
Mr Albanese said flags in Australia will fly at half-mast on the day of Mr Abe's funeral.
We must 'cherish' democracy: Anthony Albanese
Mr Albanese spoke of the need to "cherish" democracy following the "senseless violence" of Mr Abe's assassination.
"We need to cherish that democracy and part of cherishing that democracy is allowing for that interaction that we have in this great country of Australia whereby people in senior positions are able to walk down the street, attend event, whether in a professional or a personal capacity, and feel that they are safe from this sort of senseless violence -this crime, this act of terrorism that we have seen tragically unfold in Japan," he said.
Mr Abe was shot during a campaign rally on Friday and later died in hospital.
A 41-year-old has been arrested and charged with the murder of the former Japanese prime minister.
Mr Albanese also addressed his personal safety, saying there were "risks involved" in his recent trip to Ukraine, but Australia needs to "go about our business".
"I have absolute confidence in the people who look after myself and others in high office, but as someone who went to Ukraine recently, with not just the close personal protection of the AFP but with members of our special forces...they do an incredible job, but they take a risk as well," he said.
"I was very clear in undertaking that visit that there were some risks involved, quite clearly. But we need to, in this country, go about our business."
