Pacific ACP Leaders committed to beneficial EPA with EU
PRESS STATEMENT(89/08)
20th August 2008
PACP LEADERS COMMITTED TO AN EPA THAT WILL BENEFIT MEMBERS
Pacific ACP Leaders from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, including the Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia, met in Alofi, Niue, on 19 August 2008 before the 39th Pacific Forum Leaders meeting. Timor Leste was represented by its Ambassador to Australia.
The Premier of Niue, Hon. Toke Talagi chaired the meeting and will be chair of the PACP Group for the next year.
In their deliberations, PACP Leaders had before them the outcomes of the recent PACP Trade Ministers Meeting (PACPTMM) as well as the Forum Trade Ministers Meeting (FTMM) which contained a series of decisions taken and recommendations made on a range of trade and related issues of importance to the region.
With respect to Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations between PACP States (PACPS) Leaders noted recent developments and endorsed the decisions taken and recommendations made by the Trade Ministers. In doing so, Leaders reiterated the region’s commitment to the conclusion of a comprehensive EPA with the European Union by the end of 2008 and agreed that the EPA should reflect the differing circumstances and economic interests of all the PACPS and deliver significant benefits to all of them.
In recalling recent developments in regional trade, PACP Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen, expand and diversify trade amongst the Forum Island Countries (FICs) through the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA). Towards that end, they directed their officials to undertake whatever work is necessary to ensure that each FIC which has signed PICTA and not yet in a position to implement the Agreement is in a position to commence trading under the Agreement by 1 January 2009.
They also directed the Forum Secretariat to work closely with the FICs involved to prepare and implement time-bound action plans that would enable those countries to meet the 2009 deadline.
As well, PACP Leaders recognised the importance of deepening trade and economic cooperation between the FICs and Australia and New Zealand under the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER).
Because of the importance of the trade issues involved, they agreed on the need for careful preparations by FICs, both individually and collectively, before consultations began with Australia and New Zealand and recognised the need for the early appointment of a Chief Trade Advisor to assist the FICs in both their preparations and negotiations if the shared objectives of all Forum members were to be realised.
Following the Meeting, Premier Talagi observed that Leaders had clearly recognised the critical importance of the various trade issues before them and the need for all PACPS to cooperate closely in preparing for and during trade negotiations over the coming year.
While all Leaders were committed to their countries' growing participation in the international trading system, the Premier stressed, the PACPS were among the smallest economies in the world with few resources with which to engage in the trade negotiation process.
Mr Talagi, therefore, called on all trading partners to recognise the region's constraints, assist them to overcome those constraints and demonstrate the maximum flexibility and differential treatment possible under the WTO during the forthcoming negotiations.
Ends.
20th August 2008
PACP LEADERS COMMITTED TO AN EPA THAT WILL BENEFIT MEMBERS
Pacific ACP Leaders from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, including the Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia, met in Alofi, Niue, on 19 August 2008 before the 39th Pacific Forum Leaders meeting. Timor Leste was represented by its Ambassador to Australia.
The Premier of Niue, Hon. Toke Talagi chaired the meeting and will be chair of the PACP Group for the next year.
In their deliberations, PACP Leaders had before them the outcomes of the recent PACP Trade Ministers Meeting (PACPTMM) as well as the Forum Trade Ministers Meeting (FTMM) which contained a series of decisions taken and recommendations made on a range of trade and related issues of importance to the region.
With respect to Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations between PACP States (PACPS) Leaders noted recent developments and endorsed the decisions taken and recommendations made by the Trade Ministers. In doing so, Leaders reiterated the region’s commitment to the conclusion of a comprehensive EPA with the European Union by the end of 2008 and agreed that the EPA should reflect the differing circumstances and economic interests of all the PACPS and deliver significant benefits to all of them.
In recalling recent developments in regional trade, PACP Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen, expand and diversify trade amongst the Forum Island Countries (FICs) through the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA). Towards that end, they directed their officials to undertake whatever work is necessary to ensure that each FIC which has signed PICTA and not yet in a position to implement the Agreement is in a position to commence trading under the Agreement by 1 January 2009.
They also directed the Forum Secretariat to work closely with the FICs involved to prepare and implement time-bound action plans that would enable those countries to meet the 2009 deadline.
As well, PACP Leaders recognised the importance of deepening trade and economic cooperation between the FICs and Australia and New Zealand under the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER).
Because of the importance of the trade issues involved, they agreed on the need for careful preparations by FICs, both individually and collectively, before consultations began with Australia and New Zealand and recognised the need for the early appointment of a Chief Trade Advisor to assist the FICs in both their preparations and negotiations if the shared objectives of all Forum members were to be realised.
Following the Meeting, Premier Talagi observed that Leaders had clearly recognised the critical importance of the various trade issues before them and the need for all PACPS to cooperate closely in preparing for and during trade negotiations over the coming year.
While all Leaders were committed to their countries' growing participation in the international trading system, the Premier stressed, the PACPS were among the smallest economies in the world with few resources with which to engage in the trade negotiation process.
Mr Talagi, therefore, called on all trading partners to recognise the region's constraints, assist them to overcome those constraints and demonstrate the maximum flexibility and differential treatment possible under the WTO during the forthcoming negotiations.
Ends.
