APEC meeting discusses future of mining

APEC meeting discusses future of mining

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum delegates have begun a week of meetings in Perth to discuss the mining industry.

The Ministers Responsible for Mining meeting brings together more than 350 delegates from 19 of the 21 member economies of APEC, including Australia, the United States, China and Japan.

Also attending the meeting are executives from some of the world’s major mining companies, such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Alcoa and Barrick Gold.

Federal Industry, Tourism and Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane says economic and environmental issues in the mining industry will be key points of discussion at this week’s meeting.

The delegates will spend the week consulting with executives from some of the world’s major mining companies before releasing a communique outlining a set of non-binding policies governing mining practice.

Mr Macfarlane says the meeting is crucial to maintaining the growth of the region’s resources sector.

“Australia wants to see the economies of APEC develop,” he said.

“As I said, the APEC economies are very important to us in terms of export markets for Australia.

“Within the APEC circle, a stronger economy means stronger customers, it means for jobs for miners in Australia.”

Mr Macfarlane says Perth is the ideal city to host the APEC meeting.

“WA is the boom state in mining,” he said.

“As a Queenslander I am obviously from a mining state but Western Australia is doing particularly well out of the mining boom.”

Source: www.abc.net.au

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