Australia supports RI's WTO stance<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Australia agreed yesterday to support
\nIndonesia's stance that non-trade issues should not be raised at
\nthe upcoming ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization
\n(WTO).<\/p>\n
Several Australian and Indonesian ministers met at the third
\nAustralia-Indonesia ministerial forum here yesterday, where they
\ndiscussed the agenda for the WTO talks and reached a number of
\nbilateral agreements.<\/p>\n
The two governments agreed to establish a joint regional
\nairline, cooperate in reducing green-house gas emissions and
\nimprove health services in several Indonesian provinces.<\/p>\n
Australia agreed to join forces with Indonesia and other
\ndeveloping countries to try to keep labor and other contentious
\nissues off the agenda at the inaugural ministerial conference of
\nthe World Trade Organization (WTO) in Singapore in December.<\/p>\n
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Tim Fischer said
\nAustralia shared common ground with Indonesia on the discussion
\nof labor and trade linkages and other contentious issues.<\/p>\n
\"Australia and Indonesia are one on that matter,\" Fischer told
\njournalists after meeting his counterpart, Minister of Industry
\nand Trade Tunky Ariwibowo, at the Australia-Indonesia ministerial
\nforum.<\/p>\n
The forum was set up by Australia's former prime minister Paul
\nKeating and President Soeharto in 1992. The first ministerial
\nforum was held in Jakarta in 1992 and the second in Canberra in
\n1994.<\/p>\n
Fisher supported Indonesia's argument that the inaugural
\nministerial WTO conference was not the right place to discuss
\nlabor standards. He said any discussion on labor should occur at
\nthe International Labor Organization because \"it is not a core
\nissue of the WTO.\"<\/p>\n
The run-up to the inaugural WTO ministerial conference, now
\nless than three months away, is being dogged by debate on non-
\ntariff issues dividing developed and developing countries.<\/p>\n
Developing countries, led by the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations, do not want labor standards, investment treaties,
\ncompetition policies and other contentious issues discussed at
\nthe WTO ministerial meeting.<\/p>\n
Developed countries argue the issues directly relate to trade
\nand are therefore worth discussing.<\/p>\n
Developing countries contend the issues would distract the
\nmain focus of the meeting, which is to review the implementation
\nof the multilateral trade agreement by WTO member countries.<\/p>\n
Fischer said he briefly discussed investment treaties and
\ncompetition policies with Tunky and that they agreed in principle
\nto support China's entry to the WTO.<\/p>\n
The agreements reached at the meeting yesterday were signed by
\nministers of both countries.<\/p>\n
The Australian government was represented by Minister for
\nForeign Affairs Alexander Downer, minister Fischer, Minister for
\nEnvironment Robert Hill, minister Moore, minister Sharp and
\nMinister for Health and Family Services Michael Woolridge.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications
\nJoop Ave said after meeting his Australian counterpart that the
\nproposed joint regional airline would serve Indonesia's eastern
\nprovinces and the Australian continent.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Health Sujudi said Australia had agreed
\nto help improve health services in Indonesia, train Indonesian
\nhealth workers and provide health equipment, especially for the
\neastern provinces of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Fischer and Tunky discussed trade and investment relations
\nbetween the two countries and other bilateral issues.<\/p>\n
Minister Tunky said both countries had agreed to reduce trade
\nbarriers, including tariffs and non-tariff barriers, to promote
\nbilateral trade.<\/p>\n
\"We will try to increase our exports to Australia because we
\nnow import more than we export to that country,\" Tunky said.<\/p>\n
Bilateral trade between Indonesia and Australia reached US$2.3
\nbillion last year, with Australia enjoying a surplus of some $500
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's exports to Australia have grown 7 percent a year
\nsince 1991, while its imports from Australia have increased 9
\npercent a year.<\/p>\n
\"Our products, like electronic goods, are actually very
\ncompetitive on the Australian market. However, we face a number
\nof problems there like dumping accusations and quarantine of our
\nfruit,\" Tunky said. (rid)<\/p>\n
Photo -- Page 2<\/p>\n
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