PRESS STATEMENT(87/07)
30th July 2007

FORUM TRADE MINISTERS DISCUSS TRADE AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Trade and economic co-operation between Forum Island Countries and the rest of the world will feature high on the agenda of the meeting of Forum Trade Ministers to be held in Port Vila, Vanuatu, 2  3 August.

This follows a meeting of Forum Trade Officials also in Port Vila, held from 27  28 July.

Forum Trade Ministers from the 14 Forum Island Countries (FICs) as well as Australia and New Zealand will consider recommendations from their Officials' meeting in the following:

• the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) and its implementation, progress on implementation of the Regional Trade Facilitation Programme (RTFP), and a programme for the Standards and Conformance component of the RTFP;
  
  
• the PACER related studies on a more comprehensive framework for Trade and Economic Cooperation between Forum Island Countries (FICs) and Australia and New Zealand;
  
  
• discussions on consultations under Article 6 of PACER between FICs and Australia and New Zealand;
  
  
• a regional approach to World Trade Organization (WTO) trade issues;
  
  
• the future direction for improving intellectual property rights systems in the FICs;
  
  
• developments in relation to the South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (SPARTECA);
  
  
• revenue consequences of trade reforms in the FICs; and
  
  
• strategy for trade capacity-building for FICs.
  

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu, Honourable Ham Lini Vanuaroro is expected to open the meeting 2 August at the Le Lagon Resort in Port Vila.


ENDS.

For more information, contact Mr Peter Forau, the Forum's Deputy Secretary General on phone 678 22934 or email: peterf@forumsec.org.fj