No. P013/97 
For release June 23, 1997

APEC TRANSPORTATION MINISTERS MEET IN VICTORIA

VICTORIA, B.C. -- Transport Minister David Collenette today welcomed transportation ministers and heads of delegation from 16 Asia Pacific economies to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transportation Ministerial Meeting in Victoria.

" I am extremely pleased to welcome my transportation colleagues from around the Asia Pacific to the second ever APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting," said Mr. Collenette. " I take great pride in welcoming the ministers to Canada and Victoria, especially during Canada's Year of Asia Pacific."

"Important work lies ahead as we tackle the challenge of developing safe, environment-friendly transportation systems to support the increasing trade in the Asia Pacific. Over the past two years we have made significant progress on transportation safety issues. We must build on that progress as the dynamic growth in the Asia Pacific region strains our transportation system. We must also look at transportation infrastructure. Without significant expansion, congestion in the movement of freight and passengers will present a serious impediment to growth in our economies," added Mr. Collenette.

Joined by over 400 delegates from industry, government and academia, the APEC Transportation Ministers began meeting at a special Minister - Industry Symposium this morning in Victoria. The symposium features a series of presentations from industry leaders on supporting trade growth in the Asia Pacific, followed by round-table discussions with the ministers. Those discussions will focus on effective, efficient and sustainable transportation and cover surface, air and marine transportation.

Tomorrow, the APEC ministers will attend a ministers' meeting to discuss key issues affecting transportation and trade. They'll also discuss the views and recommendations arising from today's symposium and future directions and priorities for the APEC Transportation Working Group. Those talks will centre on safe and environment-friendly transportation systems, facilitating trade, creating a more competitive operating environment for transportation, infrastructure development, human resources development and new transportation technologies.

While the ministers meet, other delegates will be attending an Industry Forum on overcoming barriers to growth. Industry representatives will discuss common problems and best practice solutions to transportation infrastructure development in the region. The Industry Forum is being organized by the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

"Canada is a Pacific nation, and our economic future is tied to the region," said Mr. Collenette. "Yet our ties run much deeper than economics. Over two million Canadians can trace their origin to the Asia Pacific region. These meetings strengthen those ties and help to develop a sense of community. To make Canada's Year of Asia Pacific a success we must further that spirit of community and continue to talk about our shared vision of achieving stability, security and prosperity for everyone in the region."

The Asia Pacific is a region of immense growth and opportunity for Canada. Over the next decade, the Asia Pacific is likely to account for half of the world's economic growth. In 1995, Canada's top ten export markets included the APEC economies of the U.S., Japan, Korea, People's Republic of China, Chinese Taipei and Mexico, representing over $215 billion in trade. Canadian investment in Asia is also growing. Between 1990 and 1995, Canadian investment in Asia climbed 142 per cent, while Asian investment in Canada rose 47 per cent.

The APEC forum was established in 1989 to better manage the growing interdependence of trade and commerce in the Pacific and to support sustained economic growth. APEC is comprised of 18 economies, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and the United States. Five APEC ministerial meetings, including the one in Victoria, are taking place across Canada in advance of the APEC Leaders' Meeting to be held this November in Vancouver.

The APEC organization has formed ten working groups, including a transportation group, to address a broad range of economic, educational and environmental matters. This is the second APEC Transportation Ministerial meeting, the first was held in Washington, D.C., in 1995. The ministerial meetings are held to provide direction and priorities to the members of the Transportation Working Group.

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Contact: 

Rod Nelson
Communications
(604) 666-1675 Vancouver
(250) 953-5515 Victoria

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