17 November 2005

Bush To Focus on WTO Talks, Bird Flu at APEC, Officials Say, November 17, 2005

(U.S. president also holding bilateral meetings with several leaders)

By Todd Bullock
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- President Bush will work with other leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting November 18-19 to advance the Doha round of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks and to discuss preparations for the threat of an avian influenza pandemic, according to officials.

"APEC is a core institution in the region, [and] does very strong work on a number of agenda items, and this meeting is an opportunity to reaffirm our interest in and our support for that organization," Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs Faryar Shirzad told reporters November 17 at a press conference in Busan, South Korea.

APEC's 21 member economies are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.

FREE TRADE

Shirzad said the first day of the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting probably would focus on the goals set at APEC's 1994 Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bogor, Indonesia.  At that meeting, APEC leaders agreed to establish "free and open trade and investment" in the Asia-Pacific region for developed members by 2010 and for developing members by 2020.

Under those "broader auspices, the APEC leaders will talk, I expect, primarily about the Doha negotiations under the WTO and what the APEC leaders can do to advance those important negotiations," he continued.

The Doha round of WTO trade talks, formally known as the Doha Development Agenda, is aimed at enhancing market access for agricultural products and expanding opportunities for manufactured goods and services.  (See related article.)

APEC as an institution always has been a powerful voice in the WTO process, according to Shirzad.

"The APEC economies played an important role throughout the launch of the Doha Development Agenda, [and] had an important role in helping revitalize the Doha negotiations after the failed Cancun [Mexico] ministerial," the official said.  (See USA and the WTO.)

Shirzad said that the international community "has to step forward and respond with the same level of ambition that we've laid out so that the full potential of the Doha negotiations, including the development potential of the negotiations, can be achieved."

In addition to its involvement in multilateral efforts to promote free trade and economic liberalization through institutions like APEC and the WTO, Shirzad said, the Bush administration also has pursued a number of free trade agreements with Pacific Rim countries such as Thailand and Peru. (See Andean Region Free Trade Pact.)

"[P]art of what we've tried to do through APEC is to pursue an agenda of getting the APEC economies to adopt the highest level of standards in the free trade agreements that they do negotiate with us on a bilateral basis," Shirzad said.

DISASTER RESPONSE AND BIRD FLU

The leaders also will meet with representatives from the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) to discuss natural disaster preparations and the threat of avian influenza, or bird flu, the official said. (See related article.)

The ABAC is a formal advisory body that makes recommendations to APEC leaders.  Each member economy appoints up to three business leaders who meet regularly over the course of the year and then issue recommendations to the leaders at their annual meeting.

Shirzad called avian influenza "a main theme" for APEC and said the president will work with the other leaders to find ways to prepare for and prevent a bird flu outbreak.

Regarding security issues, Shirzad said the leaders would hold discussions on energy security, counterterrorism, nonproliferation and corruption.

BUSH-ABDULLAH MEETING

At the same press conference, National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Michael Green briefed reporters on President Bush's meeting with Malaysia Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi November 17.

According to Green, the two leaders talked about counterterrorism efforts, in which "Malaysia has been a stalwart ally."  Green added that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice briefed Abdullah on her recent trip to the Middle East and the progress that was made on an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on greater freedom of movement for Palestinians. (See related article.)

Green said Abdullah, in his capacity as chair of the Organization of Islamic Conferences, planned to report to his OIC colleagues on the progress toward peace in the Middle East and Bush's dedication to that goal.

He said the two leaders also discussed avian influenza and Bush’s planned visit with the leaders of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Green said Bush also plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as with a number of Western Hemisphere leaders.

Bush also met with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun November 17.  During their meeting, the two leaders discussed multilateral efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons programs and the importance of free and fair trade. (See related article.)

For more information, see Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).