Regional trade issues will feature high on the agenda of the Pacific Forum Trade Officials Meeting starting in Vanuatu today.
This meeting is a precursor to the meeting of Forum Trade Ministers, also in Port Vila next week.
The Forum Trade Officials Meeting is one of five trade related meetings which started on Monday this week and will go on until 3rd August.
The Trade Officials meeting will review the implementation of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations between Australia and New Zealand, and the Forum Island Countries, or FICs.
They will consider progress on implementation of the Regional Trade Facilitation Programme.
The Forum trade officials will also deliberate on the reports carried out with the objective of a more comprehensive framework for Trade and Economic Cooperation between FICs and Australia and New Zealand.
The Meeting will also consider a regional approach to World Trade Organization trade issues as well as the implementation and proposed future direction for improving intellectual property rights systems in the FICs.
