Volume 3   Issue  36                        November   2004

                 

Nuclear Safety To Lead Talks At APEC
The Australian 
By Patrick Walters November 16, 2004

A US-Australia push for stronger nuclear safeguards is likely to dominate the security debate at this year's APEC leaders meeting in Santiago, Chile.

George W.Bush is keen to advance the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation security agenda with a sharp focus on how the 21 member economies can contribute to the drive for tighter export controls on fissionable material. The US President is also keen to advance APEC's counter-terrorism agenda, particularly measures to curb the spread of shoulder-fired missiles, known as MANPADS, which terrorist groups could use to shoot down civilian aircraft.

Washington and Canberra want APEC members to adhere to the International Atomic Energy Agency's additional protocol on the export and import of nuclear equipment, as well as measures to strengthen the capacity of individual nations to protect their own nuclear materials. "I think the issue of non-proliferation is going to be a much more important issue in APEC for the foreign ministers," Alexander Downer said yesterday.
The Foreign Minister, who will attend the joint ministerial meeting tomorrow with Trade Minister Mark Vaile, will host a gathering of APEC counterparts to push for further APEC co-operation on the non- proliferation agenda.

"At this dinner we'll be focusing on stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, what more we can do and where we are up to," Mr Downer said. He wants to build on the momentum established at the Asia-Pacific nuclear safeguards conference he chaired in Sydney last week. Conference delegates expressed concern about the threat of nuclear terrorism and urged the implementation of the IAEA's strengthened safeguards system.

The two-day leaders meeting at the weekend, to be attended by Mr Bush and John Howard, will also see a renewed focus on APEC's core trade liberalisation agenda and emerging issues such as energy security.

Trade and economic issues will dominate the leaders retreat on Sunday. Canberra is determined to breathe new life into the 1994 Bogor declaration that called for free trade in the Asia-Pacific region by 2010 for industrialised economies and 2020 for developing economies.
The US is also seeking a new APEC initiative aimed at helping member economies stamp out corruption and improve transparency in government.

The plan, which is expected to be unveiled in Santiago, envisages targeted training programs to help APEC members strengthen their governing institutions and promote greater accountability.

The next fortnight will see the Prime Minister embark on the most intensive period of Asian diplomacy during his reign so far. The APEC summit will be followed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Vientiane, Laos, on November 30.

Mr Howard is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with eight Asian leaders, including China's Hu Jintao, Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Malaysia's Abdullah Badawi, during the Santiago and Vientiane talks.

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