MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Miami Summit

Headlines:
US priority: an operational agreement by 2005; Argentina targets a “flexible” agreement.

US priority: an operational agreement by 2005

The United States priority in the FTAA negotiations is to achieve an operational agreement by 2005 according to Ambassador Ross Wilson head of the US negotiation team in the Miami discussions.

"The agreement must be complete and built following on the negotiations and agreements already reached", said Mr. Wilson, "but at the same time sufficiently flexible as to take into account the unique circumstances of the weaker economies". However the US representative emphasized that the "ultimate objective is and must be, free trade".

"We're in an intermediate stage but progress has been made; we expect productive negotiations towards the end of the week", when all the Trade ministers of the 34 FTAA countries meet.

Ambassador Wilson revealed that the US together with Brazil, both countries chairs of the negotiations process, have been working in a new draft that incorporates "new ideas recently discussed to replace the previous document". However no specific negotiations, such as agriculture, have yet been addressed.

"Negotiations are oriented towards those principles on which we agree, but all countries must be aware that a treaty of this kind means benefits and obligations".

Mr. Wilson admitted that Brazil and the US have not always agreed, "but we're not going to adhere to an agreement which means drawing back on our objectives".

"The final result will mean an advance of the US objectives", and of the other 33 countries involved in the negotiations.

Richard Mills, spokesperson for the Office of the US Trade Representative said that given the number of countries "negotiations are going to be very difficult", but "it's something we believe is vital for the hemisphere".

Argentina targets a "flexible" agreement

Argentina's interest is not limited to agriculture but rather to achieving a "flexible" overall agreement in the current round of Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA, talks that are currently taking place in Miami.

"We're not after a "light" agreement, as has been described by the press, but rather a flexible FTAA that contemplates the interests of the 34 countries which means it's not an only recipe for the whole area", stressed Argentine Trade Representative Martin Redrado.

Argentina's main objective is to increase market access for "our production and even when the elimination of farm subsidies in United States and Canada is important, it's not the only issue".

Mr. Redrado added that Argentina's trade policy is multi-thematic, "agriculture, services, investments and government purchasing".

The Argentine representative also revealed that "with our Mercosur partners, particularly Brazil, we've agreed on a consistent and strong negotiating position".

"Our challenge vis-à-vis the US is not only tariff reduction but also the many non tariff obstructions that impede the development of trade", said Mr. Redrado, although "export subsidies and investment regulations are also essential".

Further on Mr. Redrado explained that under the FTAA umbrella "it's possible to reach pluri-lateral agreements such as US with Mercosur, or with other regions of the world".