Terrorism

The Australian Foreign Minister, The Hon Alexander Downer recently delivered the keynote speech to the Sydney Institute. The speech, titled "Terrorism: Winning the Battle of Ideas", was delivered to the Sydney Institute on 1 November 2006 and focused on issues relating to extremist ideology and the voice of moderate Islam. We have distributed the text to a number of local partners and have welcomed the dialogue generated by the speech. Those interested in seeing a transcript of the speech can read this and other speeches online at http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/.

Australian Education

The Government of Mauritius has released its latest statistics on Mauritians studying abroad in the Tertiary Education Commission’s publication Participation in Tertiary Education 2005. The statistics show a healthy 27% increase in the number of Mauritian students choosing to study in Australia. We commend the efforts of all those involved in the sector for this encouraging result.
World Trade Organization (WTO)

The Doha round on international trade negotiations was launched in 2001 to create a fairer and more open global trading environment which would deliver commercially-meaningful opportunities in agriculture, industrials and services trade. The Australian Government believes that developing country participation in global trade liberalization and, in particular, the current WTO Doha Round is the most effective way of delivering developing countries a better deal in world trade, encouraging development and eradicating poverty. We continue to support our interlocutors in the region to reinvigorate support for a successful conclusion to the round.

Tsunami Awareness

We have recently distributed a brochure to our local partners in Mauritius and Seychelles on tsunami awareness. The brochure has been produced by Geoscience Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology and Emergency Management Australia. Copies of the brochure are available to interested people at the High Commission.

Australia’s Recent Efforts to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

The Australian Government remains committed to preventing, deterring and eliminating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Government is in the process of amending Australia’s fisheries legislation to include jail sentences for foreign fishers caught fishing illegally in Australia’s Territorial Sea. In the Southern Ocean, Australia’s presence on the water has recently been increased with the Government allocating $217.2 million over five years for a full-time vessel to conduct patrols in Australia’s Heard Island and Macdonald Island EEZ and, through a cooperative fisheries surveillance agreement with France, the French Kerguelen Island EEZ. Negotiations are nearing completion for a cooperative fisheries enforcement agreement with France. We continue to work with local partners to raise awareness of the problem of IUU fishing throughout the Indian Ocean Region.

 New Australian Minister for Trade

On 24 September 2006, Prime Minister John Howard announced the Hon Warren Truss MP would replace the Hon Mark Vaile MP as Australian Minister for Trade.

Trade enquiries in Port Louis

For trade enquiries contact the Austrade Office in Port Louis:

• Helene Ah Pong:  [email protected]
• Romina Panray: [email protected]
  

We also invite you to visit our Education website: http://www.austudy-africa.com for more information on further study opportunities in Australia.

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