Prensa Latina, Cuba

Uribe Worried over Colombia-US FTA

10 August 2006

Bogota, Aug 10 (Prensa Latina) Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has admitted his concern about the delay of the US government to submit to Congress the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Bogota.

At the book launching of "Después del TLC ¿Qué?" (After FTA, What?) by former agriculture minister and current co-director of the Bank of the Republic, Carlos Gustavo Cano, Uribe announced a friendly call to Washington.

He expressed his concern over the White House holdup of sending the FTA to Congress and the possibility of attaining legislative votes needed to pass it.

The Colombian dignitary said he is afraid that the validity of the unilateral tariff preferences expires in December 31 without the approval of the trade deal and the transitory extension of the tariff preferences.

He noted that he himself will take that message to Washington in the next weeks.