AUSTRALIA'S NT KEEN ON BOOSTING TIES WITH BIMP-EAGA.

DAVAO CITY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Australia's Northern Territory is bent on strengthening its trade relations with the focus areas of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), embarking on an ambitious engagement plan to promote trade and investment through multilateral relationships in EAGA and across Asia.

Quentin Kilian, assistant director of International Business of Northern Territory's Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development, has cited the opportunities available for expanded trade and investment relations between the EAGA focus areas and the Northern Territory.

Kilian noted parallel development efforts in BIMP-EAGA and NT that could "generate major areas for investment and cooperation" and increase trade relations, particularly in the area of construction of transport linkages.

Australia has recently embarked on a A$1.3 billion (US$880 million) railway project from Adelaide to Alice Springs that includes the completion of a 1,420 kilometer extension to Darwin by early 2004.

The extension will connect key production areas in Australia to the Port of Darwin which is currently being developed as Australia's Asian Gateway and is scheduled for completion in 2004.

The Port of Darwin and the railway project are major components of the AustralAsia trade route that is seen to drastically cut the transit time from Australia and key Asian ports, the nearest of which are in the BIMP-EAGA.

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