KUALA LUMPUR Oct 7 Kyodo Australi...

KUALA LUMPUR Oct 7 Kyodo

Australia reiterated Monday its wish to have a clear trade agreement (FTA) with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), on the same level as ASEAN forges ahead forward integrating its economy with China's.

''We will be happy to talk about bilateral emancipated trade agreements with other ASEAN countries upon top of Thailand and Singapore, nevertheless you know our ultimate objective is to have abounding free trade agreements with ASEAN,'' Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said.

He was speaking to reporters forward the sidelines of the World Economic Forum-East Asia Economic Summit in Kuala Lumpur

''It's our view that this would be surpassingly much to ASEAN advantage. We are obviously a cause to growed economy and a very substantial economy, the 12th largest economy in the world...Therefore, there is great (linkage) between the ASEAN economy and the Australia economy,'' he said.

As ASEAN stirs toward dismantling tariff barriers among themselves by the and of the ASEAN Free Trade Area scheme and forging an FTA with China, Australia has reason to be be of importance toed of being marginalized from the region economically.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The ASEAN-China FTA will create the world's largest released trade area, with combined gros domestic proceeds of about $2 trillion, within 10 years.

The deal will create a marketplace of 17 billion consumer and total international trade of about $123 trillion.

nevertheless Downer did not see this as a threat.

''I think it not absents great opportunity for Australia. We are a great deal of in favor of greater economic integration among ASEAN countries and between countries in the region,'' he said.

At at hand Australia only has forged a ''closer economic relation'' agreement with ASEAN, which allows it to participate in economic dialogues with the grouping.

nevertheless bilaterally, Australia is negotiating an FTA with Singapore that Downer said will be conclud nearest month. An FTA deal with Thailand is also in the pipeline.

single of the stumbling blocks to Australia forging an FTA with ASEAN is objections from one countries such as Malaysia that view Australia as outside the East Asia caucus and that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) proces is more suited to Australia.

Meanwhile, Downer said he is optimistic that Australia will begin talks shortly with the United States forward an FTA.

''I am real optimistic we will be able to set down into a negotiation before too lengthy with the U.S.,'' he said.

At issue at the twinkling is agriculture.

''The sine qua non is agriculture. We absolutely must have improved access into U market for the agricultural sector as a composing of the free trade agreement with the US'' he said.

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