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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">February 7, 2005 <i>(1:00 p.m. EST)</i><br>
No. 25</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">CANADA AND MERCOSUR TO LAUNCH<br>
TRADE AND INVESTMENT DIALOGUE</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">International Trade Minister Jim Peterson, together with current chairperson of
Mercosur [Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay] and Paraguayan Foreign Affairs
Minister Leila Rachid de Cowles, will launch a trade and investment dialogue in Ottawa
today between Canada and Mercosur, in the context of the Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA).</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“I believe that this initiative, which is firmly anchored in the FTAA, provides an excellent
opportunity to expand on our strong partnership with Mercosur and deepen our
commercial relations,” said Minister Peterson.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The two-day meeting in Ottawa is designed to build on the commitments that Prime
Minister Paul Martin and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made last
November. These include an agreement to pursue bilateral market access negotiations
in goods, services and investment between Canada and Mercosur within the framework
of the FTAA.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The FTAA, which builds on Canada’s existing free trade ties with the United States,
Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica, holds the potential to create the world’s largest free trade
area, with more than 845 million people and a combined gross domestic product of over
$18.8 trillion. In addition to liberalizing trade in goods, the FTAA would secure improved
market access commitments in the services sector and establish stronger investment
protection measures throughout the Americas.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">For more information on the FTAA, including the latest version of the draft agreement
and details on Canada’s position and proposals, visit the following Web site:
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220184441/http://www.ftaa.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.ftaa.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"><span> </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">- 30 -</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Jacqueline LaRocque<br>
Director of Communications<br>
Office of the Minister of International Trade<br>
(613) 992-7332</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Media Relations Office<br>
International Trade Canada<br>
(613) 995-1874<br>
</span></span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220184441/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
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