TONGA'S Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industries, Hon Lisiate 'Akolo was appointed by Trade Ministers from Pacific members countries of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific, ACP as their Spokesperson in their continuing negotiation, for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU).

During a two-days meeting in Apia, Samoa from February 3-4 Lisiate was selected as the leading spokesperson, and two alternate spokespersons, Vanuatu's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism, Hon. Ham Lini, and the Nauru Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon. Dr Kieren Keke.

The EPA is integrated with the Cotonou Agreement, a Partnership Agreement between the European Union and 79 ACP countries.

The Carribean member states of the ACP have signed a comprehensive EPA with the EU. In the Pacific, Fiji and Papua New Guinea have signed an interim EPA with the EU, but the remaining 12 Pacific ACP states are still negotiating toward either signing an interim EPA or a full EPA.

A deadline for the signing of the EPA between the Pacific ACP states and the EU expired on 31 December 2007, but since then there are certain contentious issues that held up the signing of the EPA by Pacific ACP states.

A statement released by Tonga's Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industries stated that the Hon. Lisiate 'Akolo was aware of the strenuous burden being vested on him and the Tongan government but "I undertake to give it my best shot, and I am confident my colleagues and friends within the region and the EU, at the political and technical levels, will all help to achieve this most difficult challenge."