Australia and Singapore Conclude a Successful Ministerial Meeting

Today we concluded a very successful meeting of the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee (SAJMC) with our Singapore counterparts Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo, Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean. The bilateral relationship between Australia and Singapore has gone from strength to strength.

Ministers welcomed the signature today of the renewed Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) Agreement. The Agreement reflects the strong and productive defence relationship between our two countries. We are very pleased that Singapore has agreed to host the Regional Special Forces Conference in 2005.

Ministers shared assessments of evolving terrorist threats in the region and discussed responses. Our two countries are working more closely than ever before to address critical security challenges, including through the Bali Counter-Terrorism process and the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC). We are also cooperating to combat transnational crime, including people smuggling.

Ministers welcomed recent initiatives to improve maritime security in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. We reaffirmed our strong common interest in preventing the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems, including through the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).

The SAJMC meeting proved an excellent forum to explore how Australia and Singapore could work together to provide disaster relief assistance to the region, as we did during the Indian Ocean tsunami, and to respond to emerging regional challenges, such as Avian Influenza.

We welcomed the strong collaboration between our development assistance agencies in joint projects for countries in the region under the Singapore-Australia Trilateral Cooperation Program (SATCP) since 1996. New activities we have agreed include training for Indonesian health workers in Disaster Victim Identification and Disaster Preparedness Training for regional officials, focusing on Avian Influenza and communicable diseases.

Ministers discussed the crucial role the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) has played in promoting closer economic integration between our two economies. In 2004, total trade reached a new high of A$14.4 billion, up from A$12.4 billion in 2003. Since the implementation of SAFTA in July 2003, over 450 Australian companies have, with Austrade’s assistance, won business in Singapore to a total exports sale value of $A319.7 million. Of these companies, 208 were new exporters.

Australia’s services exports to Singapore increased substantially, as did two-way investment. A number of Australian companies are pursuing major new business opportunities in Singapore, including in the new integrated resort projects and regional airlines.

Ministers underlined the firm commitment of Australia and Singapore to securing an ambitious outcome for the WTO Doha Round. The Round will be crucial in providing greater market access and strengthening the WTO rules-based system, especially for agriculture. Australia’s hosting of APEC in 2007, followed by Singapore’s hosting in 2009, provides an important opportunity for us to work together to strengthen and shape APEC as a key element of regional architecture.

Australian Ministers welcomed the Singapore Government’s support for Australian participation in the inaugural East Asia Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur in December 2005. We look forward to working with Singapore and other regional countries in the lead-up to the Summit. We also welcome progress towards an ambitious and comprehensive ASEAN – Australia New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, which will serve as an important building block towards further regional economic integration.

We were delighted to accept Singapore’s invitation to the sixth SAJMC in Singapore in 2007.

Media inquiries : (Minister Downer) 02 6277 7500 - (Minister Vaile) 02 6277 7420 - Senator Hill 02 6265 3343