Colombia iffy over FTA negotiations with US
Colombia Iffy over FTA Negotiations with US
Bogota, May 27 2005 (Prensa Latina)
Colombia’s Minister of Trade Jorge Humberto Botero said Friday his government is undecided whether it should attend the 10th Round of Negotiations of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US, to be held in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Addressing journalists, Botero reiterated that Colombia, Ecuador and Peru’s FTA talks with the US are at the worst moment ever.
After asserting that Colombian farmers are right when considering Washington"s stance over the agriculture issue negligent, Botero admitted that his government is reviewing whether to participate in the June 6-10 Guayaquil meeting.
The Colombian Farmers Association recently presented a letter to the government urging it to refrain from participating in the Guayaquil gathering.
The minister noted that the Executive shares the Farmers Association’s stance and said advances in the FTA negotiations are huge in some cases, small in others, but none in agriculture.
