Brasília, November 7, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, left President Lula's delegation in Africa to meet, today and tomorrow, with colleagues from all over the Americas. The group that is already gathered in Washington is composed of Ministers from Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, the United States, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay - all of them encharged by their countries with responsibility for negotiating the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

The meeting, which ends on Saturday, is a preview of the 8th FTAA Ministerial Meeting, scheduled for November 20-21 in Miami. It will be another attempt to lay the groundwork for the FTAA, which is scheduled to go into effect in 2005 and can become one of the biggest trade alliances in the world.

Brazilian and American negotiators have not met since September's failure of negotiations in the context of the World Trade Organization, in Cancun. Today's meeting may provide a new opportunity to reestablish efforts on behalf of reduced subsidies and market access. It is hoped that Chancellor Amorim will meet today with the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Amorim is also expected to converse with the US special trade representative, Robert Zoellick. (DAS)