06
May 2010 22:41:37 GMT
Source:
Reuters
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Next round of Trans-Pacific talks set for June
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APEC 2011 could be 'watershed moment,' Kirk says
WASHINGTON,
May 6 (Reuters) - Malaysia could join the United States and seven other
countries on both sides of the Pacific in negotiations on a regional
free trade agreement, the top U.S. trade official said on Thursday.
"Obviously
that is an economy that we are very interested in having join," U.S.
Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in remarks to the U.S.-Asia Pacific
Council.
The
United States, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Vietnam, Chile, Singapore
and Peru held the first round of talks on the proposed Trans-Pacific
Partnership, or TPP, pact in Australia in March. The next round is set
for San Francisco in June.
Kirk
said he expected the TPP to grow into a regional free trade agreement
covering all 21 member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation forum.
The
APEC grouping includes China, Russia, Japan, Mexico, Canada, South
Korea, Taiwan and the United States.
Kirk
reiterated it was the right decision to begin the TPP talks with a
small group of countries committed to negotiating a pact with
groundbreaking provisions in areas such as labor and the environment.
He
also said there had been talks with Malaysia on joining the
negotiations. Ultimately, that is a decision for both Malaysia and the
current TPP countries, he said.
The
United States and Malaysia attempted several years ago to negotiate a
bilateral free trade agreement and came close to reaching a deal. One
big obstacle was Malaysia's reluctance to open its government
procurement market.
"We've
been very honest in our outreach to them that we think having them
participate in this (TPP) process makes a more salable case to the
American public then a stand-alone free trade agreement," Kirk said.
Kirk
also stoked expectations for the 2011 APEC leaders summit, which
President Barack Obama will host in Hawaii.
"APEC
2011 has the potential to be a watershed moment in U.S. economic
engagement in the Asia-Pacific, so we are going to be both bold and
ambitious when we host," Kirk said.
Kirk
has resisted attempts to make the 2011 APEC meeting a deadline for
completing the TPP talks and did not specifically address that point on
Thursday.
But
all the current TPP countries agree "that we really, really want this to
be a fast-moving process," he said.
Kirk
repeated his commitment to winning congressional approval of a free
trade agreement with South Korea the countries signed three years ago.
Changes
are still needed in the pact to open South Korea's market to more
American cars, he said. (Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Peter
Cooney)
