Media release

Australian Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile

Wednesday, October 4, 2000

SE Asia free trade push & ag trade reform

Trade Minister, Mark Vaile, heads to Thailand and Canada today to push for two key trade priorities.

In Chiang Mai, Thailand (Oct 4-7), Mr Vaile will attend the 5th annual talks between ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) and Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations (CER) Ministers. The Ministers will review progress in trade and economic cooperation, and be presented with a High Level Task Force report into the feasibility of an AFTA-CER Free Trade Area (FTA).

"Ministers will consider the report's conclusions that a free trade agreement, linking the 10 ASEAN countries, Australia and New Zealand, would benefit all, and that we should work to achieve that goal."

Mr Vaile said the meeting would also provide an opportunity to discuss regional and international economic and trade developments.

Mr Vaile then heads to Canada to chair the 21st Ministerial meeting of the Cairns Group of agricultural fair trading nations in Banff (Oct 10-12). It will be the first Cairns Group Ministerial meeting since the failure of the Seattle WTO Ministerial and the start of WTO negotiations on agriculture in January 2000.

"Cairns Group Ministers will examine progress in the negotiations, which has seen the Group set the pace in proposing an end to export subsidies and trade-distorting domestic support. Ministers will discuss how to take the negotiations forward in the period before a new comprehensive trade round is launched," Mr Vaile said.

"The meeting will include participation from the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Franz Fischler, and Egypt's Minister for Economy and Foreign Trade, Youssef Boutros-Ghali. I welcome the participation of Egypt, an important developing country, and the EU, which is facing enormous pressure to reform its agricultural policies."

Mr Vaile will also participate in a number of industry events taking place in parallel with the Ministerial, including the Global Alliance for Sugar Trade Reform and a conference of Canadian Agri-Food Exporters. Cairns Group Farm Leaders, bringing together peak agricultural industry bodies from Cairns Group countries, will meet all Cairns Group Ministers on October 12.