Brasília, March 23, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The current phase of negotiations over the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) will define each country's schedule of interests, and Brazil and the Mercosur have already demonstrated that their chief desire is for increased access to the Canadian and American markets. This is what Ambassador Luiz Felipe Macedo Soares, head of the Brazilian delegation in the discussions to form the bloc, told lawmakers today at the meeting of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas (Copa), which is being held in Brasília with representatives from 35 countries. According to the Ambassador, the area of government purchases constitutes an obstacle in the negotiations.
In his address, Soares refuted the idea that Brazil is making access to its domestic market difficult for foreign companies. "The 1988 Constitution doesn't establish differences between Brazilian and foreign companies," the diplomat argued.
The timetable for negotiating the FTAA ends in 2005, and the agreement is expected to be much less comprehensive than the initial proposal for economic integration. When questioned by South American legislators on the possibility that the FTAA will establish the foundations for an agreement permitting freedom of movement between countries, Soares expressed pessimism. "This theme is outside the universe of the FTAA, which is a trade agreement."
Translator: David Silberstein