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Global Services Network Alert FTAA Co-Chairs Meeting. The Co-Chairs of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) met in Washington, DC on May 21, 2004 to discuss a common and balanced set of rights and obligations in the FTAA. The Co-Chairs agreed to continue informal consultations and will meet again in early June in order to make further progress in the negotiations. For a copy of the joint communiqué, click here: http://www.crnm.org/documents/FTAA/ Dr. Supachai Welcomes "encouraging political signals" for Doha Progress. At the May 17-18 meeting of the World Trade Organization General Council, WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi urged trade negotiators "to show the world that Geneva is capable of delivering significant results." He also assured close WTO co-operation in the IMF's new policy for developing countries. For a copy of Dr. Supachai's remarks, click here: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news04_e/gc_chair_stat_18may04_e.doc
Address to the WTO General Council By Anne Krueger, Acting Managing Director, IMF. In remarks to the WTO General Council meeting on May 18, International Monetary Fund Acting Managing Director Anne Krueger explained the recently-approved Trade Integration Mechanism (TIM). Under the TIM, countries expecting short-term balance of payments difficulties resulting from trade liberalization will be able to request IMF assistance. For a copy of her remarks, click here: http://www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2004/051804b.htm
OECD Ministers Reaffirm Commitment to WTO. During the May 13-14 meeting of the OECD Ministerial Council, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to moving forward on trade liberalization through the World Trade Organization,and agreed that "there is no substitute for the multilateral trading system." A summary issued at the close of the meeting further said that Ministers were determined to reach basic agreements on frameworks for key issues of the Doha Agenda by this July. For a copy of the summary, click here: http://www.oecd.org/document/39/0,2340,en_2649_201185_31753703_1_1_1_1,00.html.
Text of Australia-Thailand FTA. The text of the Australia-Thailand Free Trade Agreement is now available on the website of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Click here: http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/aust-thai/
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