Resolutions and undertakings to build better trade and economic partnerships between the European Union (EU) and the Pacific has been reached.

Permanent Secretary for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Shaheen Ali says this follows the successful 7th Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) Trade Committee Meeting.

Ali as the presiding co-chair, stated in his opening remarks, that trading beyond Fiji’s borders was not a choice but a necessity for the Pacific economies, as our markets are too small to generate enough income to provide a decent standard of living for our people.

In Fiji, a number of reforms and initiatives have been undertaken to improve better linkages to markets, uplifting of standards, building supply capacity and strengthening trade facilitation at our ports.

The Trade Committee Meeting was attended by the Parties of the IEPA, the EU, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the newly acceded member Samoa.

Solomon Islands and Tonga were in attendance as observers.

This is the first time the IEPA Trade Committee meeting was held outside of Brussels.

The Trade Committee Meeting, which was held in Suva on October 3-4, was complemented by a series of bilateral meetings between the EU and the Pacific, and the Meeting of the Special Committee on Customs Cooperation and Rules of Origin (SCCCROO) on 2 October 2019, and related capacity building workshop from 30 September to 1 October 2019.

The Trade Committee also discussed key issues, such as trade and sustainable development, Pacific Regional Integration Support Programme, capacity building on Rules of Origin and the Pacific Kava project for the ACP commodities funding support.