MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US/Andean countries free trade talks postponed

Peru failed to conclude a free trade agreement with the United States and decided Wednesday to take a break in negotiations, as had happened with its Andean partners, Colombia and Ecuador, the day before

"We decided to postpone negotiations because of Thanksgiving (Thursday) and to give us to time to further consult Congress and industry", said Neena Moorjani, spokesperson for the United States Trade Representative Office in anticipation of the long US weekend.

"We're going to continue talking the coming two weeks and could meet again before the World Trade Organization Hong Kong ministerial summit in mid December", said Ms Moorjani.

"We've made good progress but some strong challenges persist", added the US spokesperson admitting that as happened with Colombia and Ecuador, the main hurdles remain agriculture and intellectual property.

The fourteenth round of negotiations, which began last November 14 in Washington between United States and the three Andean countries, was supposed to be the final leg before coming out with a deal.

Ms Moorjani said that following a year and a half of negotiations, from now on the process becomes a "bilateral negotiation", although Peru is the country nearest in reaching an agreement with the US.

"At this moment and stage we're not in condition of reaching a balanced agreement which includes Peru's interests", said Peruvian Foreign Trade and Tourism minister Alfredo Ferrero, adding that in spite of significant progress, and certain degree of flexibility in sensitive issues, "it hasn't been sufficient to ensure the feasibility of an agreement".

Ms. Moorjani promised that United States will concentrate intensely in each country, in the coming weeks to ensure the free trade agreement can be reached.

The Peruvian delegation was left alone on Tuesday when Colombia and Ecuador abandoned negotiations arguing they needed more time following Washington's "lack of flexibility" in agriculture and intellectual property rights.