LOC23:56
20:56 GMT
NEW YORK, Sept 25 (KUNA) -- Australian Foreign Minister Senator Bob Carr on
Tuesday met with his counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for
the first time on the sidelines of the yearly General Assembly session and
offered "food security" to their region.
Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al
Hamad Al Sabah presented Kuwait in the meeting.
He is a member of the High-Level delegation headed by the representative of
H.H. the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the work of
the General Assembly's 67th session, Kuwaiti Prime Minister H.H. Sheikh Jaber
Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
In a statement to KUNA following the meeting, Senator Carr said "the Gulf
is very, very important to Australia ... It is increasingly important to
Australia. And what we offer the nations of the Gulf, among other things, is
food security ... We are a supplier of food to Gulf States and we can take
care of their food security needs."
He added that Australia has a "very open foreign investment regime,"
explaining that Australia can either export food to the Gulf countries or they
can buy land in Australia and have the food cultivated for them.
He explained that the foreign investment in his country is open to tourism,
financial services and property, among others.
He said the Gulf states are increasingly investing in Australia and their
response to his proposal today was "very positive."
The economic relationship with the Gulf States, he noted, is moving ahead
"very well, very strongly," vowing that such meetings will continue in the
future and that the next one will take place in Sidney. He didn't know exactly
when.
"We have USD 11 billion in trade. We cooperate on security matters. We
consult deeply with the States' Representatives," he said.
He recalled that Australia hosts 13,OOO students from the Gulf in its
universities. (end)
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