As a result of renewed negotiations, considerable progress was made in the
first half of 2005. A series of meetings was held in March and April 2005, in
the course of which the framework for an agreement was “nutted out,” according to the Australian Foreign Minister.
Eventually, following further meetings
in Sydney in May 2005, a draft agreement was finalised and forwarded to the
two governments for approval—a process that eventually led to the conclusion
of CMATS.