Rice in Panama for LatAm meeting on trade
PANAMA CITY, (AFP) - - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Panama City to meet with 11 Latin American ministers and discuss ways of boosting regional trade, in the framework of the "Pathways to Prosperity" initiative.
Launched in September in New York City by US President George W. Bush and 11 Latin American leaders whose countries have signed free trade agreements with Washington, the initiative's first meeting will take place on Wednesday.
"This is the first ministerial coming out of the leaders meeting in NY, we hope to have a clear statement that identifies an action plan," Rice's deputy secretary of state for Latin America, Thomas Shannon, told reporters Tuesday on the flight to Panama City.
"I can't predict the economy, what the new administration will do, but our trade relationships with our free trade partners are real, and they are not going to change," he added referring to Barack Obama's administration when he takes office on January 20.
Pathways to Prosperity was signed by Bush and the leaders of Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Dominican Republic and Panama.
PANAMA CITY, (AFP) - - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Panama City to meet with 11 Latin American ministers and discuss ways of boosting regional trade, in the framework of the "Pathways to Prosperity" initiative.
Launched in September in New York City by US President George W. Bush and 11 Latin American leaders whose countries have signed free trade agreements with Washington, the initiative's first meeting will take place on Wednesday.
"This is the first ministerial coming out of the leaders meeting in NY, we hope to have a clear statement that identifies an action plan," Rice's deputy secretary of state for Latin America, Thomas Shannon, told reporters Tuesday on the flight to Panama City.
"I can't predict the economy, what the new administration will do, but our trade relationships with our free trade partners are real, and they are not going to change," he added referring to Barack Obama's administration when he takes office on January 20.
Pathways to Prosperity was signed by Bush and the leaders of Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Dominican Republic and Panama.
