PM Transcripts

S7
PRIME MINISTER
EMBARGOED UNTIL 12 NOON
FOR MEDIA 23 JUNE 1990
New Zealand Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Geoffrey Palmer will
visit Australia from 28 June to 3 July 1990 as a guest of
the Australian Government.
This will be Mr Palmer's first visit to Australia as Prime
Minister and it reciprocates my visit to New Zealand in
February this year to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of
the Treaty of Waitangi.
Mr Palmer's visit coincides with the achievement on 1 July
of full free trade in goods between Australia and
New Zealand under CER.
The main topic of discussions during the visit will be the
current state and future directions of the CER agreement.
Our talks will also cover a range of bilateral, regional and
global issues, including the environment, when Mr Palmer
meets with me and other Ministers in Canberra on 2 July. Mr
Palmer will also visit Melbourne to meet community leaders
and representatives of the business community.
Both Australia and New Zealand can be proud of the speed and
magnitude of the progress achieved to date under the CER
Agreement. Our next challenge is to make progress towards
removal of the few remaining barriers to trade in the
services area, and to achieve greater harmonisation in a
range of areas including business law, quarantine, and
customs. I am confident that our talks will reinforce the
momentum for reform.
I welcome Prime Minister Palmer's visit not only as an
opportunity to mark the achievements of the CER Agreement to
date, but also as a timely demonstration of our political
will to continue the process of greater integration of our
economies.