March 9, 2000 (3:30 p.m. EST) No. 41

PETTIGREW PROMOTES CANADIAN BUSINESS EXPERTISE DURING VISIT TO ARGENTINA AND URUGUAY

International Trade Minister Pierre S. Pettigrew met with key Argentinian and Uruguayan government officials to advance important Canadian business ventures and expertise in the telecommunications, infrastructure and environmental services sectors.

The Minister's meetings with the newly elected governments of both Uruguay and Argentina are important steps in supporting the growing Canadian economic presence in South America and in promoting Canada's trade liberalization agenda, which includes the negotiation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

In a meeting today, Minister Pettigrew, on behalf of Ottawa-based Telesat, and Dr. Hennoch Domingo Aguiar, Argentinian Secretary of Communication, began discussions that could lead to a bilateral agreement between Canada and Argentina on fixed telecommunications satellite services.

"The communications infrastructure in Canada has overcome great geographical distances and challenges," said Mr. Pettigrew. "Canada is uniquely able to help Argentina address similar challenges through the impressive expertise of our telecommunications sector."

Mr. Pettigrew also met with officials of the Port of Buenos Aires Authority to support a presentation and bid by Socomar International of Boucherville, Quebec, to install a $13 million navigation system in the Port. Socomar uses state-of-the-art technologies and software to provide systems for environmental monitoring, resource management and navigation.

In Uruguay yesterday, Minister Pettigrew and newly elected Uruguyan President Jorge Batlle discussed a $30 million project to be concluded between SNC-Lavalin of Montreal and OSE, an arm of the Uruguayan Ministry of Housing and Environment, to overcome the serious problem of poor water quality in areas outside main Uruguayan cities.

"SNC-Lavalin has considerable international experience in the environmental services sector, and I am confident their involvement will lead to significant improvements in water quality, an area so important to the quality of life of Uruguayans," said Mr. Pettigrew.

Minister Pettigrew and President Batlle also discussed negotiations currently being held between CGI of Montreal and Uruguayan telecommunications utility ANTEL to extend existing projects in the field of information technology call centres and tele-education. The deal would be worth $30 million to CGI, North America's fifth largest independent information technology services company. CGI is currently concluding the final $15 million phase of the $58 million contract signed in 1995 to assist ANTEL in modernizing its operations.

The Minister also discussed with President Batlle and Foreign Relations Minister Dr. Didier Opertti Canada's hemispheric agenda and two important events Canada will host over the next 14 months: the OAS General Assembly next June in Windsor, Ontario, and the Summit of the Americas in April 2001 in Quebec City.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sylvie Bussières

Office of the Minister for International Trade

(613) 992-7332

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874