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2 December 2002
Contents:
- Japan to host WTO ministers in February 2003
- WTO considering 'GATS visa' for professionals
- Reminder about call for submissions on Australia-United States Free Trade
Agreement
1. Japan to host WTO ministers in February 2003
from The Japan Times, 27 November 2002
Japan will host an informal World Trade Organization
ministerial meeting in Tokyo in mid-February, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said
Tuesday. Japan hopes to contribute to the whole WTO negotiation process so that
resolutions can be reached on "important topics," Kawaguchi said, referring to
the impending deadline for farm trade talks under a new WTO round.
Japan has apparently decided to sponsor the meeting in a
bid to break a deadlock in farm trade talks with agriculture-exporting Cairns group
countries, including Australia and Canada.
Kawaguchi said Japan plans to invite trade ministers from
the 25 economies that attended the latest informal WTO ministerial meeting in Sydney
earlier this month.
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2. WTO considering 'GATS
visa' for professionals
from Press Trust of India
New Delhi, November 26: In a bid to facilitate smooth
movement of service professionals between countries, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is
exploring the possibility of having a 'GATS visa', a special category, its deputy
director-general Roderick Abbott said on Tuesday.
"We are considering a GATS visa for services which can
serve as a special category visa allowing service professionals to travel to other
countries for a certain period of time. The main objective of such a visa would be to
distinguish movement of people travelling to other countries for work and not for seeking
permanent residence," he said during an informal interaction with reporters in Delhi.
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3. Reminder about call
for submissions on Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement
A reminder about the call for submissions by the Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Australia
and the United States. As mentioned in the last AFTINET Bulletin (No.48), submissions are due on 15 January.
Points to consider for your submission are also in Bulletin No 48.
The deadline for receiving submissions is 15 January 2003.
A background paper on the Australia-United States FTA proposal, including information on
issues that might be covered in an agreement, and studies on the benefits and implications
of an Australia-US FTA, is available via DFAT's website at: www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/us.html
Submission enquiries: Ph: (02) 6261 2019/1811 Fax: (02)
6261 3514
Submissions may be lodged electronically at us.fta@dfat.gov.au or by post at the following
address:
US FTA Task Force
Office of Trade Negotiations
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
BARTON ACT 0221
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