Officials meet to negotiate Trade in Services Agreement
PRESS STATEMENT 68/08
21 July 2008 OFFICIALS MEET TO NEGOTIATE TRADE IN SERVICES AGREEMENT Senior officials from the Forum Islands Countries (FICs) will meet in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, from 23-25 July 2008, to progress negotiations of a trade in services agreement among the FICs. The FICs, which excludes Australia and New Zealand, are now engaging in the second round of negotiations to determine areas of investment, temporary movement of natural persons, and other related disciplines that would encourage the FICs integrate better in the global economy. "This trade in services agreement is expected to be an extension to the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA), which is currently limited to the liberalisation of trade in goods among the FICs," said Feleti Teo, Acting Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. "A well structured trade in services agreement among the FICs can assist in creating new investment opportunities in the region," he added. FIC Trade Ministers launched the negotiation of the PICTA trade in services agreement in March 2008, following which the first round of negotiations were held from 31 March to 2 April, 2008. Mr Teo stated that another round of in-country consultations on the liberalisation of trade in services were held in each of the 14 FICs over the last four months. The Forum Secretariat has been providing technical support to the FICs for the ongoing national consultations on trade. The FICs are expected to table their initial PICTA trade in services requests and offers at the second round of negotiations this week. "Liberalisation of services sector is complex, and it is important that the FICs take these complexities into consideration as they make their trade in services commitments," Mr Teo stressed. Senior officials from the FICs are working towards having broad parameters of the PICTA trade in services agreement completed by end-2008. (Ends) For more information, please contact Shiu Raj, the Forum Secretariat Trade Policy Adviser (PICTA) on phone (679) 331 2600 or email |
2008