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The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joseph W P Wong, today (June 25) called on the Vice-President of the European Commission (EC)responsible for Administrative Reform, Mr Neil Kinnock, in Brussels.
This was the first official visit to Brussels of a Hong Kong Principal Official since Hong Kong successfully contained the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak.
Mr Wong and Mr Kinnock exchanged views on reforms in the Hong Kong Civil Service and at the European Commission. They also considered the possibility of a secondment scheme for civil servants working in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) and EC.
Mr Wong briefed Mr Kinnock on the Hong Kong Civil Service Reform initiated in 1999 with the objective of ensuring that the civil service could provide more efficient and cost-effective services for the public, enhancing the competitive advantages of Hong Kong.
He also informed Mr Kinnock about Hong Kong's successful efforts to contain the SARS outbreak and underlined the dedication of the Hong Kong civil service and of the front-line medical and health care workers.
When met in Brussels on May 21 last year, the Chief Secretary for Administration Mr Donald Tsang and European Commission President Mr Romano Prodi had jointly declared that Hong Kong-EC relations should be enhanced, notably by exploring potential areas of enhanced co-operation.
Mr Joseph Wong and Mr Kinnock today discussed possible cooperation between HKSARG and European Commission civil services and agreed to conduct further exploratory talks at working level. Such a scheme could include exchanges of officials, something that could foster mutual understanding and enable Hong Kong and EC civil servants of gaining first-hand knowlegde of the institutions and policies of the other party, thus enhancing relations between Hong Kong and the European Union.
Mr Wong commenced his trip in Europe on Monday (June 23) when he met with staff of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in London.
While staying in London, he called on Professor Michael Barber, Head of Delivery Unit of the Prime Minister's Office and Sir Andrew Turnbull, Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service, to exchange views on the latest civil service reforms in both Hong Kong and Britain before he left for Brussels yesterday (June 24).
Apart from meeting with the Vice President of the European Commission, Mr Wong also met with staff of HKETO in Brussels today (June 25).
He will continue his trip tomorrow (June 26) in Geneva and meet with staff of the HKETO there.
Mr Wong will take part in a three-day programme of the Salzburg Seminar, a prestigious educational centre in Europe, on Friday (June 27). He will talk at a gala dinner on Saturday (June 28) to distinguished guests around the world about the latest situation of Hong Kong after the successful control of SARS.
End/Wednesday, June 25,2003
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