MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile fully supports FTAA timetable.

Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister Soledad Alvear said Chile will fully support all efforts to make the Free Trade Association of the Americas “a reality in 2005”.

"Yes, Chile fully supports the agenda and we want to ensure that the timetable is effectively achieved", said Ms. Alvear.

The Chilean minister added that FTAA was crucial particularly for those countries that have greater difficulties to access foreign markets.

"We have a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States and it would selfish if we did not contribute or remained indifferent to the FTAA project", stressed Ms. Alvear.

Last week the Chilean Congress ratified the free trade agreement with the US which enables 87% of Chilean exports to enter the US tariff free as of next January.

Ms. Alvear will be participating in the FTAA summit in Miami next November 17/21, a decisive meeting for the future negotiations of the regional accord.

However Ms. Alvear acknowledged that the recent Washington offensive to ensure the FTAA agenda has encountered resistance particularly from Brazil and to a lesser extent Venezuela.

"These differences will have to be aired in the coming meeting and we expect that Brazil and the United States, who share the negotiations presidency, will help define the agenda to follow".

Ms. Alvear added that Chile has economic complementation agreements with virtually all Latinamerican countries, "so we are determined to play an active role and help find the best way out".

Nevertheless Ms. Alvear did admit that "given our experience with the European Union agreement, it could be beneficial for all sides involved a greater time flexibility in certain chapters that are particularly controversial, but it's important to keep talking.