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MEMTIONED TO THE PRIME MINISTER - ARE HAPPY TO COOPERATE WITH US IN DEVELOPING STRONG REGIONAL SUPPORT FOR THAT.
ANOTHER MULTILATERAL MATTER THAT WE DISCUSSED WAS THE FORTHCOMING CONFERENCE ON INDOCHINESE REFUGEES WHICH HAS JUST BEEN THE SUBJECT OF THE UNHCR PRESS CONFERENCE. IN THAT RESPECT THERE HAS BEEN SOME SUGGESTION THAT AUSTRALIA MAY BE ASKED TO HOST THAT CONFERENCE. IF WE ARE FORMALLY ASKED WE CERTAINLY WILL GIVE VERY SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO THAT. SO FAR AS BILATERAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE CONCERNED TRADE AND INVESTMENT BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES IS STILL QUITE SMALL IN TERMS OF THEIR OVERALL DIMENSIONS AT THE MOMENT BUT ARE RAPIDLY GROWING. IT IS A TWO-WAY PROCESS. AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN QUITE DRAMATICALLY IN RECENT YEARS LIBERALISING, DEREGULATING, RESTRUCTURING ITS ECONOMY SUCH THAT WE ARE OBVIOUSLY NOW A MUCH BETTER TARGET FOR EXPORTS FROM THE REGION IN GENERAL AND FROM THAILAND IN PARTICULAR. EQUALLY AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS IS BECOMING MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE AS A RESULT OF INTERNAL STRUCTURAL REFORMS AND WE ARE MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVELY MARKETING AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURES AND SERVICES AS WELL AS OUR TRADITIONAL COMMODITY SALES IN THE REGION. SOME OF THE SPECIFIC ISSUES IN BILATERAL TRADE THAT WE DISCUSSED WERE A QUESTION OF LIBERALISING SOME ASPECTS OF ACCESS TO PRODUCTS IN THAILAND. WE HAVE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT ACCESS FOR FRUIT AND FOR WINE. TODAY I MADE A PARTICULAR PITCH ON THE SUBJECT OF CHOCOLATE AND IN FACT EMPTIED A CARTON OF MARS BARS AND M & M'S INTO THE LAP OF THE COMMERCE MINISTER, MR SUBIN, AS A DEMONSTRATION OF OUR DESIRE TO REDUCE THE VERY HIGH TARIFF BARRIERS THAT PRESENTLY KEEP THOSE AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTS OUT AND INDEED OTHER INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIERS OF CONFECTIONERY.
SO FAR AS INVESTMENT IS CONCERNED THERE ARE SOME QUITE SUBSTANTIAL PROJECTS ON THE DRAWING BOARD WHICH WERE THE SUBJECT OF PARTICULAR DISCUSSION WITH MINISTERS TODAY. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF THEM IS THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONTRACT NOW PENDING INVOLVING A DIGITAL NETWORK MULTI MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT WHICH TELECOM, THE CONSORTIUM LED BY THE AUSTRALIAN TELECOM IS, WE BELIEVE, THE MOST ATTRACTIVE TENDER ON THE TABLE AT THE MOMENT AND WE HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE BROUGHT TO FRUITION IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. I RAISED THAT PARTICULAR SUBJECT WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER, AND WITH THE COMMERCE MINISTER BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN ONE THAT WE ARE VERY ANXIOUS TO BRING TO CONCLUSION. I HAVE ALSO BEEN MENTIONING THE PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN BID FOR THE ONE AND HALF BILLION DOLLAR MASS TRANSIT CONSTRUCTION AS PROPOSED HERE FOR BANGKOK INVOLVING AN ELEVATED RAILWAY IN WHICH AUSTRALIA HOPES TO BE A MAJOR PLAYER. WE HAVE ALSO TALKED ABOUT A POTENTIAL BHP PROJECT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A STEEL MILL HERE ON A JOINT VENTURE BASIS.
WE ALSO TALKED QUITE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR COAL EXPORTS INTO THAILAND, SOMETHING ABOUT WHICH THE PRIME MINISTER IS QUITE RESPONSIVE, CONCERNED AS HE IS NOT TO SQUANDER THIS COUNTRY'S NATURAL GAS RESOURCES ON ENERGY PRODUCTION BUT RATHER DEVOTE THAT TO PETRO-CHEMICAL SO IT DOES SEEM THE PROSPECT OPENING UP IN THE YEARS AHEAD FOR A VERY SUBSTANTIAL POTENTIAL COAL TRADE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES, REMEMBERING THAT AUSTRALIA IS THE BIGGEST COAL EXPORTER IN THE WORLD AND WE ARE VERY KEEN TO EXPAND OUR MARKET