

MEDIA RELEASE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ALEXANDER DOWNER FA72           2  June  2005



DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT:  AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

I  have  today  announced  the  appointment  of  Jeremy  Bruer  as  Australian  Ambassador  to  the   United Arab Emirates.

Mr Bruer will replace Noel Campbell, who has been Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates  since August 2002.  He is expected to take up his appointment in August 2005.

The growing strength and warmth of Australia’s relations with the United Arab Emirates was  reinforced by the launch of negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement in March 2004.  A  free  trade  agreement  could  significantly  expand  trade  and  investment  opportunities  between   our two countries.

The United Arab Emirates is Australia’s second largest market in the Middle East. Australia’s  exports have diversified from their traditional primary product base in recent years with two-way  merchandise  trade  totalling  $2.24  billion  in  2004.   Economic  complementarities  are   emerging across a range of sectors, particularly in services.

People-to-people ties are also growing strongly, as tourism and educational linkages expand.   There  are  more  than  600  UAE  students  studying  in  Australian  universities.  Over  6000   Australians and 100 Australian companies are present in the United Arab Emirates. These ties  have  been  strengthend  by  the  large  number  of   high-level  visits  between  the  two  countries   including  over  the  past  year  alone,  the  UAE  Minister  of  Economy  and  Planning,  the  UAE   Minister of Communications and the Australian Ministers of Trade, Agriculture, Defence and  Veterans Affairs.

The  United  Arab  Emirates  is  a  country  of  strategic  importance  and  influence  in  the  Gulf   region, including as a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council.  Like Australia, it is also a  member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation.

Mr  Bruer  is  an  employee  of  the  Department  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  Trade  and  is  currently   Director of the Iraq Rehabilitation Unit, a position he has held since July 2004.  Prior to this  he was a Director in the Terrorism White Paper Taskforce.  He has also held the positions of  Executive  Officer  in  the  International  Organisations  Branch  (2003-2004)  and  the  Iraq  Task   Force  (2003);  First  Secretary  and  Deputy  Head  of  Mission,  Australian  Embassy,  Riyadh   (1999-2002);  Executive  Officer,  Pacific  Islands  Branch  (1995-1998);  and  Third  and  later   Second Secretary at the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby (1992-1995).

Mr Bruer was born in Adelaide.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of  Adelaide  and  a  Master  of  Arts  in  public  policy  and  government  from  the  University  of   Melbourne.  He is married with four children.

Media enquiries: Chris Kenny (Ministerial) 02 6277 7500 / 0419 206 890     Julie McDonald  02 6261 1555





Media releases and speeches are available from DFAT via the internet.      http://www.dfat.gov.au/

