MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President Bush in Mar del Plata next November

United States President George Bush will be travelling to Argentina in November to participate in the IV Summit of the Americas, and will then fly to Brazil and Panama announced Wednesday the White House.

President Bush will be staying in the Atlantic resort of Mar del Plata between November 3 and 5, and has scheduled a private meeting with his Argentine counterpart Nestor Kirchner, said White House spokesperson Scott McClellan. This will be President Bush's third Summit of the Americas.

"The visit will allow the President to continue his dialogue with the Hemisphere's democratically-elected leaders, highlight our engagement in the region, and promote the consolidation of democracy and the expansion of economic opportunity and prosperity through open markets and free trade", said McClellan.

The US president confirmation comes with less than a month to the event which will gather 34 leaders from the hemisphere, plus probably Spain and Portugal heads of state, but which still has to agree on the final declaration that is proving extremely challenging to draft.

From Mar del Plata Mr. Bush will travel to Brazil for a two days visit, November 5/6 to meet with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. November 6/7 the US president will be meeting President Martin Torrijos Espino in Panama.

The previous summit was held in Monterrey, Mexico in 2004 where Mr. Bush called on the continent to fight corruption.