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2007  - 2006  - 2005  - 2004  - 2003  - 2002  - 2001  - 2000  - 1999  - 1998  - 1997  - 1996

<html> <head> <meta name="Generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 8"> <title>FTAA: OBJECTIVE 2005</title> </head> <body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> <p><font face="Arial" size="+1"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>November 1, 2002 <em>(5:45 p.m. EST)</em> No. 137</strong></font></p> <p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>FTAA: OBJECTIVE 2005</strong></font></p> <p><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial">International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew and his 33 counterparts of the Western hemisphere today concluded in Quito, Ecuador, an important phase in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations, and charted a course to complete talks by the January 2005 target date. </font></p> <p><font face="Arial">Ministers agreed to advance the release of the second version of the consolidated draft negotiating texts of the FTAA agreement. This follows the ground-breaking decision, promoted by Canada at last year's FTAA Ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires, to release the first draft. The second draft texts, initially scheduled for release at the next Summit of the Americas, will be made available today in the four official languages of the FTAA negotiations--English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. </font></p> <p><font face="Arial">"Canada achieved its goals at this meeting by keeping these negotiations on track to yield benefits for Canadian exporters and consumers, as well as for the citizens of the hemisphere as a whole," said Minister Pettigrew. "The release of the latest draft FTAA texts confirms the new culture of transparency in trade negotiations, which Canada has championed."</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">Ministers also ensured that the FTAA will continue to contribute to the broader Summit of the Americas process, including in such priority areas as the protection and conservation of the environment and the promotion of labour rights.</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">"Our work this week was greatly aided by the contributions of a broad spectrum of representatives of civil society," added Mr. Pettigrew. "The views we heard are proof of the health and strength of the democracies of the Americas, and they will constantly remind us that the FTAA must benefit all the citizens of the hemisphere."</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">Other key results from Friday's meeting included:</font></p> <ul> <li><font face="Arial">an agreement on a Hemispheric Cooperation Program to provide technical assistance and support promoting effective participation in the FTAA process by smaller economies;</font></li> <li><font face="Arial">a re-affirmation of the participants' determination to eliminate agricultural export subsidies, and to seek a balanced overall package of significant results for other measures affecting agricultural trade in both the FTAA and World Trade Organization negotiations; and</font></li> <li><font face="Arial">the transfer of the chair of the FTAA process from Ecuador to Brazil and the United States, who will co-chair the final phase of negotiations.</font></li> </ul> <p><font face="Arial">The complete final statement from the Ministerial meeting and the second draft FTAA texts will be available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's FTAA Web site at: <a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221133143/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/ftaa_neg-e.asp">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/ftaa_neg-e</font><font face="Arial">.asp</a></font></p> <p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial">- 30 -</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">For further information, media representatives may contact:</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">S&eacute;bastien Th&eacute;berge</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">Director of Communications</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">Office of the Minister for International Trade</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">(613) 992-7332</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">Media Relations Office</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</font></p> <p><font face="Arial">(613) 995-1874</font></p> <p><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221133143/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/"><font face="Arial">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</a></font></p> </body> </html>

2007  - 2006  - 2005  - 2004  - 2003  - 2002  - 2001  - 2000  - 1999  - 1998  - 1997  - 1996

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