Vol. 495 No. 7
152 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the seminars attended and the work in hand or completed and any other developments currently being worked on or planned in relation to trade over the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21986/98]
In January of this year, I launched the statement of national trade policy. The aim of the statement was to set out the main lines of our trade policy approach and the domestic and international context in which that approach is developed.
I have also participated in the relevant European Union meetings, including the General Affairs Council, when necessary and attended the successful World Trade Organisation negotiations on financial services and the Second World Trade Organisation Ministerial meeting.
As part of the trade brief, my Department actively participates in trade negotiations and discussions aimed at opening up markets in third countries. These matters are progressed through the EU's Common Commercial Policy and through the World Trade Organisation.
A key development within the context of the WTO is the run-in to multilateral trade liberalisation negotiations on goods and services within the context of a Millennium Round which is due to commence in 2000.
In relation to bilateral trade over the past 12 months, the Tánaiste and I have participated in 18 trade and market development missions and availed of numerous speech engagements to extol the benefits of trade to the Irish economy. In addition, we had a significant number of meetings with various incoming high-level trade delegations and with diplomatic representatives from Ireland's trading partners.
I chaired four meetings of the Foreign Earnings Committee and three meetings of the Trade Advisory Forum over the past 12 months.
