Brussels, 15/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - European Commissioner Chris Patten is travelling to Australia and New Zealand from 16 to 24 April, where he meet senior members and discuss questions linked to bilateral relations with the European Union, multilateral trade relations and other issues regarding the international situation and reconstruction in Iraq. The visit will begin in Melbourne with a meeting with the Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, Trade Minister Mark Vaile and Environment Minister David Kemp. On 17 April, Commissioner Patten will travel to Canberra where he will meet with Immigration Minister. On 21st April, the Commissioner will travel to New Zealand. In Auckland, he will hold talks with the Prime Minister, Helen Clark. In Wellington, on 23rd April, he will meet Foreign Minister Phil Goff.
On the eve of his departure, Mr Patten pointed to the historical and cultural links between Europe and these two countries and the importance of trade relations between them, given that the EU is Australia's main economic partner and the "mutual interest in working together to tackle global and regional issues, from the future of world trade, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, to the regional problems of the Korean peninsula and the Pacific islands, where we are one of the largest providers of development assistance".