News Stories - 8 September
Mr Downer’s Attendance at Trilateral Ministerial Meeting in Dili
Mr Downer attended the third Australia-Indonesia-East Timor Trilateral Ministerial Meeting in Dili on 4 September. While the current security situation in East Timor was an agenda item, this Trilateral Meeting was not convened in response to recent developments.
The Trilateral Meeting continues to be an invaluable opportunity to engage two of Australia’s closest neighbours on issues of mutual interest.
While the current security situation in East Timor was an agenda item, this Trilateral Meeting was not hastily convened in response to recent developments or to deal solely with security issues.
Ministers agreed to collaborate on a range of fronts to assist East Timor’s transition to peace and stability, and to forge closer commercial ties between the three countries.
The Ministers welcomed the new UN mission to East Timor (UNMIT).
The meeting reinforced Australia’s strong and broad-ranging relationship with Indonesia. We remain committed to a long-term development partnership and continue to work closely together to tackle transnational issues, including countering terrorism, illegal fishing and avian influenza.
Indonesia will host the next Trilateral Ministerial Meeting in 2007.
Meeting of National Consultative Committee for International Security Issues (NCCISI)
Australia remains actively engaged on international counter-terrorism, arms control and counter-proliferation and other current security issues.
On 6 September Australia’s National Consultative Committee for International Security Issues (NCCISI) convened in Canberra.
The meeting focused on Australia’s counter-terrorism strategy in South East Asia including an overview of new policy directions in Australia’s counter-terrorism engagement and an update on current arms control and counter-proliferation issues and developments in regional security and the Middle East.
NCCISI is an important forum for consultation between the Australian Government and the Australian community on international security issues.
The Committee comprises academics, representatives from non-government organisations and security experts drawn from around Australia.
Australia’s exports remain high
Australia’s July exports totalled $17.4 billion, the second highest level of exports on record. Australia’s trade with the world remains strong.
Overall, exports in July were down 3 per cent on the previous record month.
Rural exports and services exports both rose by 2 per cent, while manufacturing exports were steady. Resource exports fell by 3 per cent and other goods exports (mainly non-monetary gold) fell 29 per cent.
Imports fell 3 per cent to $18.0 billion mainly due to a fall in petroleum imports.
Merchandise exports to North Asia rose by 24 per cent in the 12 months to July 2006, with China up 36 per cent increase and Japan 23 per cent. Exports also icreased to ASEAN (16 per cent), the EU (34 per cent), India (16 per cent) and the United States (5 per cent).
The trade deficit fell by $47 million to $588 million in July, reflecting a larger fall in imports than exports.
News Stories - 1 September
Australia’s Ongoing Commitment to East Timor
Australia remains steadfast in its commitment to assist East Timor and welcomes the UN mandating a new mission (UNMIT).
Australia remains steadfast in its commitment to assist with sustainable development and the maintenance of stability in East Timor. Australia was the largest contributor to the international security forces deployed following the recent unrest. Its commitment to the international security forces will continue until the security situation has been stabilised
Australia welcomes the UN mandating a new and expanded mission to East Timor (UNMIT). UNMIT will focus on areas where the UN can most effectively contribute in assisting East Timor, such as electoral assistance, political reconciliation and justice sector reform.
Australia is particularly pleased that UNMIT satisfies the need for robust policing and police training. Australia will contribute significantly to UNMIT and leads the multi-national international security forces deployed to East Timor, which operate separately from but complementary to UNMIT.
This force has undertaken to provide all of UNMIT’s security requirements, including a rapid reaction force and UN mission protection. A decision on the future of UNMIT’s security component will be made on 25 October.
Australia and France Conclude Negotiations on Cooperative Fisheries Enforcement Treaty
Australia and France initial treaty concerning fisheries in sub-Antarctic islands (29 August 2006).
Australia and France verified and initialled the text of the Cooperative Fisheries Enforcement Treaty, signifying the conclusion of negotiations.
The treaty was initialled by the Hon Mr Peter McGauran, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and his French counterpart, Mr Dominique Bussereau. The treaty formalises cooperative enforcement action against illegal fishing in the fishing zones of Australia’s and France’s respective sub-Antarctic islands.
For example, the treaty will allow Australian officers on a French patrol vessel to apprehend an alleged illegal fishing vessel in the Heard Island and McDonald Islands’ exclusive economic zone or territorial sea.
Australia will now undertake its internal treaty-making process to permit signing of the treaty as quickly as possible. The Cooperative Fisheries Enforcement Treaty builds on the Australia-France Surveillance Treaty that entered into force on 1 February 2005.
ASEAN Economic Ministers – Closer Economic Cooperation (AEM-CER), Kuala Lumpur, 24-25 August.
Mr Vaile attended the 11th AEM-CER Consultations in Kuala Lumpur, 24-25 August.
The main focus of the meeting was to discuss ways to kick-start the WTO Doha Round and to review the ASEAN-ANZ FTA negotiations.
Mr Vaile had valuable bilateral exchanges with key WTO players (the United States, India and Japan), which focussed on next steps for the Doha Round, including the role of next month’s Cairns Group ministerial meeting.
Mr Vaile stressed the importance of securing a comprehensive ASEAN-ANZ FTA with WTO-plus outcomes on market access.
He urged ASEAN Ministers to intensify negotiations and show the flexibility required to conclude negotiations in 2007.
Archived News Stories 2006
4 & 11 August
21 & 28 July
7 & 14 July
30 June
16 & 23 June
2 & 9 June