Hon Phil Goff
Minister of Trade
Minister of Defence

30 May 2006

Media statement

Goff to Viet Nam, Singapore, Malaysia

Trade Minister Phil Goff says the question of how to progress the WTO's Doha Development Round will top the agenda at a meeting of APEC Trade Ministers in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, this week.

Mr Goff leaves for Viet Nam today for the two-day meeting, fresh from OECD talks in Paris last week that also focused on the WTO Round.

"The Doha negotiations are now at a critical stage. The meeting in Viet Nam will be better informed of prospects for the Round after last week's mini-Ministerial meeting in Paris, and it is important that we continue to seek to identify how a consensus can be reached so that the deal can happen," Mr Goff said.

"Ministers will also consider APEC business, including work on model FTA provisions, and trade facilitation. In addition I will hold a range of bilateral meetings covering FTA and other trade-related matters."

After the APEC meeting, Mr Goff will don his Defence hat to attend the International Institute of Strategic Studies Asia Security Conference in Singapore and a meeting of Five Power Defence Arrangement ministers in Kuala Lumpur.

"The ISS is the only annual formal meeting of Asia-Pacific defence ministers. At least 20 defence ministers will attend the conference, along with leading security analysts from US, UK, Australia, Canada and key Asian nations. It provides an excellent opportunity for discussions focused on regional security issues.

"Attending the Five Powers meeting underlines the value New Zealand places on the arrangement, and our continued commitment to its activities. It is also a further opportunity to discuss security developments with the other Five Power members – Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and the UK – whom we work closely with in the region," Mr Goff said.

ENDS

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