Downer acclaims Thai-Aust FTA's first year as big success
Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer gave an upbeat assessment at the first anniversary of the Thailand-Australia Free-Trade Agreement (Tafta).
"Excellent! It has been good for both countries," he told The Nation in an exclusive interview at the branch office of the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry in Melbourne. He said he had heard no complaints from the Australian side. "Both trade and investment from Australia to Thailand has increased," he said. Thailand is the fourth country to conclude an FTA with Australia after the US, Singapore and New Zealand, and the Kingdom is now Australia's 10th largest trading partner. Last year Thailand imported 4.1 billion Australian dollars' (Bt116.3 billion) worth of goods with 70 per cent of this coming from sales of gold and petroleum, which enjoyed zero tariffs. In the past year Thailand has slashed more than half its 5,000 tariffs, affecting nearly 80 per cent of Australian imports. In return, Thailand exported $4.8 billion worth of motor vehicles and components to Australia. In response to a question on the absence of Thai security forces in East Timor, Downer said it would depend on invitation by the host. "The Australians work well with the Thais," he said, referring to the joint peace-keeping force in 1999. East Timor has invited Australia, New Zealand, former colonial master Portugal and only one Asean member, Malaysia, to send troops to Dili. Australia, which sent 1,300 personnel, said more troops were needed to control the unstable young state. Downer said Australia, as a founding member of the East Asian Summit (EAS), would do whatever it could to strengthen cooperation among members. "It is a top-down orga- nisation with leaders themselves making decisions," he said. He is confident that the 16 East Asian leaders know what they want to achieve. "They will find their niche and cooperate in areas like energy, security and technology," he said. Their cooperation, he pointed out, would complement and not compete with other organisations such as Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and Asean. Downer hopes in the next decade EAS can found free-trade areas and a solid regional community to harness the energy of the region. While he thanked former foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai for initiating the Tafta, he refused to comment on whether Australia would back him to replace Kofi Annan as United Nations secretary-general. "We do support an Asian candidate," he said. However, he added that the Australian government would have to submit a choice for parliamentary approval before officially backing a candidate. Kavi Chongkittavorn The Nation Melbourne
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