4 November 2008
Australia Presses for Progress on Free Trade Agreement with Gulf States
The Minister for Trade, Simon Crean, visited Riyadh and Dubai from 2 - 4 November to press for progress in negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with the States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
“Australia has emphasised to our Saudi and UAE hosts the strength of our commitment to advancing these important trade negotiations”, Mr Crean said.
“The GCC as a whole is Australia’s eleventh largest merchandise export market. This is true in the case of automobiles where the GCC took $2.2 billion in Australian exports in 2007-2008 - and also in a host of other sectors, including services, infrastructure, mining, energy and agribusiness.
“This rapidly growing market matters to our trading future”.
On 2 and 3 November, Mr Crean met HRH Prince Salman, the Governor of Riyadh, as well as the Saudi Ministers for Trade and Industry and for Economic Planning during his visit to Riyadh. Mr Crean met the UAE Minister for Trade in Dubai on 4th November.
“I left our hosts with no uncertainty as to Australia’s interests in making progress in these negotiations”, Mr Crean said.
“I also had an opportunity to meet directly with a number of Australian and Saudi business people doing business in Saudi Arabia and the region. Australian skills and expertise are highly regarded.
“Services are a crucially important part of our relationship - in areas like education, where there’s been huge growth in student numbers to Australia; project management; infrastructure development; health-care services; mining services; agriculture services; and financial services.
“My view is that governments have an obligation to catch up with the rapid growth of the private sector relationships.
“That’s the message I conveyed in my meetings in Riyadh and Dubai - because it’s in the interests of both sides to allow these relationships to continue to flourish.
"I also took the opportunity of my meetings in Saudi Arabia to stress the need to work closely together in the G20 in ensuring an effective international response to the global financial crisis. In both countries we discussed the essential importance of concluding the Doha Round as a contribution to the global response."
Media Inquiries: Mr Crean's office 02 6277 7420 - Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555