Howard to visit Asian countries later this year<\/p>\n
SYDNEY (AFP): Australian Prime Minister John Howard is likely
\nto visit Japan, South Korea and Indonesia later this year to
\nunderpin his commitment to economic engagement with the region,
\ngovernment sources said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Howard, whose conservative coalition romped to a landslide
\nvictory in the March 2 election, may also visit Malaysia on his
\ntrip, which is likely in July during the scheduled parliamentary
\nwinter recess.<\/p>\n
A visit to Australia next week by Malaysian leader Mahathir
\nMohamad has been heralded here as a diplomatic coup for Howard
\nfollowing claims by former prime minister Paul Keating that Asian
\nleaders would not deal with Howard.<\/p>\n
Howard, who said after his win that his domestic agenda would
\ntake priority and keep him at home for a while, is nevertheless
\neager to counter impressions -- which he says were created by
\nKeating -- that he is less committed to engagement with Asia than
\nwas his predecessor.<\/p>\n
Treasurer Peter Costello has already met and held talks with
\nsome of his Asian counterparts during the weekend Asia Pacific
\nEconomic Co-operation (APEC) forum finance ministers' meeting in
\nKyoto, Japan.<\/p>\n
Costello said in Japan that he had received several
\ninvitations for himself and Howard to visit various unnamed APEC
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Tim Fischer will also
\njoin the apparent rush to Asia, visiting some of the seven ASEAN
\nmember countries: Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines,
\nIndonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Sources said details of Fischer's visit to the Association of
\nSouth-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) were still being finalized, but
\nthe visits were likely before parliament resumed at the end of
\nApril.<\/p>\n
Fischer is also expected to continue the Keating government's
\npush to boost trade with South America, visiting several
\ncountries in May after a scheduled meeting there of the Cairns
\nGroup of free-trade agricultural producing nations.<\/p>\n
Howard will also meet his New Zealand counterpart Jim Bolger
\nin Sydney tomorrow, and Mahathir for informal talks in Brisbane
\non March 29.<\/p>\n
In November, he plans to attend the scheduled APEC summit in
\nManila, which brings together 18 nations from around the Pacific
\nrim including the United States, Canada, Japan, the ASEANs and
\nChina.<\/p>\n
Trade officials are also hopeful that Howard will go ahead
\nwith plans for the Australian Prime Minister to launch a A$20
\nmillion (US$15.5 million) trade promotion in New Delhi in
\nOctober-November.<\/p>\n
While attending the Kyoto meeting Costello also convinced 18
\nAPEC finance ministers to support a symposium in Sydney later
\nthis year to discuss international tax issues.<\/p>\n
He said the Kyoto meeting had made significant steps in
\nproving Australia's commitment to the region under a coalition
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"For the new government in Australia it was an opportunity to
\nunderline the importance that we put on APEC,\" he told reporters.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/howard-to-visit-asian-countries-later-this-year-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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