MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
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Bush requests fast track President George W. Bush last week addressed US Congress outlining principles upon which his administration will request special powers for the coming different international trade discussions.
Bush needs the special authority, previously known as the "fast track", to negotiate the all Americas Free Trade Association, as he promised in the IIIrd. Americas Presidential Summit recently held in Quebec, Canada, and for further trade rounds in the World Trade Organisation framework.
In his message to Congress Bush recalls that since 1994 the American Executive has been unable to obtain the special authority to negotiate trade agreements.
"One hundred and thirty preferential agreements have been signed and the US is only included in two of them; we must get moving, we can't remain still while our trade partners keep advancing", said President Bush. Joint US-Uruguay Economic Council Uruguay and United States sealed this week in Washington the formal establishment of a Joint US-Uruguay Economic Council that will promote trade, investments, and a fluid bilateral dialogue to help with international trade affairs such as the World Trade Organisation rounds and the development of the All Americas Free Trade Association.
The idea of the Joint Council was agreed during a meeting of Uruguayan President Jorge Batlle and President George Bush in the White House following the Quebec summit.
US State Department Undersecretary for Latinamerican Affairs, Pete Romero, and Assistant Secretary for Economic Affairs and Trade, Anthony Wayne, and Uruguayan Ambassador in Washington Hugo Fernández participated in the first formal meeting of the Joint Council.
Ambassador Fernandez pointed out that the Joint Council was not intended to lead to a bilateral trade agreement, "since Uruguay is participating in the overall negotiations for a free trade association of all the Americas. Besides other Mercosur members such as Argentina and Brazil already have similar joint committees".
Reassuring words in difficult moments since other Mercosur members, particularly Brazil are suspicious Uruguay might follow Chile's path and sit to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement with
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