RIYADH -- A major agreement to resume the live sheep trade between Saudi Arabia and Australia was signed yesterday by Agriculture Minister Dr. Fahd Balghuneim and Australian Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Warren Truss.
The agreement will ensure that there will be no repetition of a dispute between the Kingdom and Australia similar to the one in August 2003 that resulted in the suspension of livestock trade after the cargo ship Cormo Express, laden with 57,000 sheep, was turned away by Saudi Arabia.
Australian Ambassador Ian Biggs told Arab News that the agreement will benefit both countries. "We are very happy to sign this accord on which the two sides were working for quite sometime now."
"The two ministers signed the deal which contains new guidelines and provisions for livestock trade," said Biggs, referring to the long-standing wish to resume trade on the part of the two countries.
The agreement will provide a detailed framework within which the two countries will work so far as the livestock export to Saudi Arabia is concerned.
In August 2003, Saudi authorities refused the import of Australian sheep on the grounds that some were suffering from scabby mouth disease. After almost three months at sea, about 44,000 surviving sheep were donated to Eritrea and the live animal trade to Saudi Arabia from Australia was banned.
Referring to Saudi-Australian trade relations, Truss has been quoted as saying that "Australia sought a commitment from Saudi Arabia that livestock would be unloaded into a quarantine facility if a dispute developed or if there was a suspected problem with the animals."
"The signing of the memorandum of understanding is a positive step in Australia's relations with Saudi Arabia and shows the Kingdom's good will in getting this important trade back on track," Truss said.
"The memorandum has become possible because of the completion of a new quarantine facility at Jeddah. Exports could resume as early as mid-May this year," said local diplomats. Before the ban, the Australian sheep trade with Saudi Arabia stood at $124 million annually.
M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan
© Arab News 2005
