Australia's Crean Attends Informal Trade Minister Meeting

by Mary Swire, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong

12 May 2009

An informal meeting of Pacific Trade Ministers was convened by New Zealand in Auckland on May 9, 2009. Australia was represented by Trade Minister Simon Crean (pictured) and Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan.

At the invitation of the New Zealand Minister of Trade, Tim Groser, the Vice President of Kiribati, the Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa and Ministers from Australia, Cook Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu met informally in Auckland, New Zealand, from May 8-9, 2009.

Representatives of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands also attended. Also present were the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Mr Tuiloma Neroni Slade, and Mr Kaliopate Tavola, current chair of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus informal discussions. The meeting was chaired by Murray McCully, New Zealand's Foreign Minister.

Participants in the meeting welcomed the opportunity to meet to discuss PACER Plus issues.

Participants recognized the importance of deepening regional trade integration as a means to create jobs, enhance private sector growth, raise standards of living and advance the region's sustainable economic development. In doing so, they reaffirmed the objectives of the PACER.

Further to this, the participants recalled the Forum Leaders' decisions at Niue in 2008 and acknowledged the need to move the PACER Plus process forward to give effect to those decisions. In doing so, it was important to build on the work already undertaken to date, including through the process of informal discussions amongst Forum trade officials mandated by Ministers in 2008.

All participants expressed concern at the serious effects of the global economic crisis on all Forum Members. They recognized that those effects could have far reaching implications throughout the region, especially for the small and vulnerable Members of the Forum.

This underlined the need to advance trade and investment integration in the region. Participants also expressed their desire to assist each other in securing resources through bilateral, regional and multilateral channels to enable Forum Island Countries (FICs) to address the impacts of the economic crisis.

In this regard, participants welcomed the positive indications by the Australia and New Zealand of substantial increases in their respective ODA programmes in the region.

Participants noted that it will be the decision of their Leaders to launch PACER Plus negotiations. They welcomed commitment by Australia and New Zealand to support and resource the Office of the Chief Trade Advisor (OCTA), which would assist FICs in the PACER Plus negotiations.

The urgency of early establishment of the OCTA as a prerequisite to negotiations beginning was discussed, including through possible interim arrangements. This issue would be discussed further by officials in Vanuatu on May 13-15 and by Forum Trade Ministers in June, with a view to taking recommendations forward to the Forum Leaders Meeting in August.

Participants also welcomed the willingness of Australia and New Zealand to support the meaningful participation of FICs in PACER Plus.

The participants also expressed their determination to move forward on the PACER Plus as instructed by Forum Leaders in 2008, including through the upcoming informal meeting of officials, to be held in Port Vila, Vanuatu from May 13-15 and the Forum Trade Ministers Meeting to be held in June in Apia, Samoa.

Lastly, the participants expressed their appreciation to New Zealand for hosting the meeting and the courtesies extended.

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