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HANOI - A far-reaching Pacific Rim free trade deal has moved a fraction closer with a decision at a ministerial meeting at Apec to conduct a study on an Asia-Pacific agreement.
The leaders' summit is expected to add a bit more weight to the concept at the weekend
by endorsing it.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said a free trade agreement of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) was not the primary goal for New Zealand but there needed to be "a plan B and a plan C" should the Doha round of the World Trade Organisation talks fail.
Getting approval to conduct a study on it, while not sounding very exciting, keeps the issue alive and has been a strong objective of New Zealand.
It has also been championed by the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) Business Advisory Council, a body of private sector business leaders that makes recommendations to the leaders' summit.
It may also get some force behind it next year if the study is delivered to the summit in Australia.
"We are of the view that the WTO round should be given one last shot but, in the circumstances, there should be a plan B and a plan C," Mr Peters said.
Plan B was the FTAAP.
Plan C, he said, was "a spaghetti bowl of bilateral FTAs" and was a last resort.
"The WTO is what we are still committed to.
"We have nevertheless decided to put some substance and beef into an Apec consideration of a free trade agreement."
Mr Peters hoped such an agreement would put pressure on the Doha round to be resumed. Talks were suspended in July largely because the United States, the EU and developing countries could not agree on how to liberalise trade in agricultural products.
Mr Peters made his comments after his bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
After originally saying in New Zealand he expected to raise the issue of the free trade agreement with her, he did not, saying he would leave that matter to Trade Minister Phil Goff.
The pair have been encroaching liberally into each other's areas in the past few weeks, but they appear to be resetting their boundaries.
Mr Goff made a wide-ranging foreign affairs speech in China this week under the aegis of the international security problem and has talked extensively on North Korea and Fiji as Disarmament and Defence Minister.
Until yesterday, Mr Peters had also talked liberally at Apec about trade matters.
A draft of the ministerial statement obtained by Reuters shows Apec forum members - which account for nearly half of world trade - are putting pressure on their leaders to get the Doha round of trade talks back on track.
A statement "reaffirming Apec resolve in resuming the negotiation process without further delay," was essential, the leaders said in a draft when they met in Hanoi at the weekend.
Apec had work to do to sort out an increasingly complicated network of bilateral trade relationships in the region, the ministers said.
Hundreds of businessmen have accompanied their countries' delegations, seeking opportunities in the region, which accounts for more than a third of the world's population and about 60 per cent of world GDP.
- Additional reporting NZPA