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February 17, 1998
(Industry, Trade and Technology)

Minister to participate in Trade Ministers' meetings

Industry, Trade and Technology Minister Judy Foote leaves tomorrow for Ottawa to participate in meetings between federal and provincial ministers and territorial leaders responsible for trade.

Meetings on international trade will begin on Thursday with a focus on trade policy and trade promotion. Friday's meetings will focus on internal trade issues.

Minister Foote said that the international trade meetings provide provincial trade ministers with an opportunity to discuss issues relating to bilateral, multilateral and regional trade negotiations and provinces' participation in these negotiations. Discussions will focus on a number of issues including federal/provincial cooperation in international trade negotiations and the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI).

Minister Foote said: "The purpose of this segment is to provide an opportunity for provincial trade ministers to express opinions and concerns on the direction and focus of Canada's international trade policy."

The internal trade ministers meetings will focus on issues related to the Agreement on Internal Trade. Ministers are expected to use the opportunity to focus on issues related to the agreement that have yet to be resolved. It is expected that the federal government and the provinces will attempt once more to reach consensus on the MASH (municipalities, academic institutions, schools and hospitals) Sector. Minister Foote said that Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the nine provinces that have indicated their intent to sign on to the agreement. She said: "Signing on to the MASH Sector will give Newfoundland and Labrador companies the ability to bid on contracts across the country that would otherwise be off limits to them. As it stands now under the Atlantic Agreement on Procurement, companies in the four Atlantic Canadian provinces can already bid on contracts in the ASH (academic institutions, schools and hospitals) sector."

Contact: John Doody, Director of Communications, (709) 729-0050.