By Lloyd Nicholas, Gleaner WriterWASHINGTON, D.C.:
UNITED STATES Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick will meet with Caribbean Trade Ministers in Jamaica on July 2 to discuss the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), progress on global trade talks, trade capacity building, and closer trade ties between Caribbean nations and the United States.
According to Zoellick, "Caribbean countries are an important voice in the dialogue on hemispheric economic integration through the FTAA, and in global trade talks at the WTO."
The discussions will take place during the 24th CARICOM Heads of Government Conference in Montego Bay, St. James, later this week. The meeting has gained added significance as CARICOM celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Mr. Zoellick noted that "the 30th anniversary of CARICOM is a fitting occasion to continue our work on economic integration
through trade." The meeting of trade ministers follows a similar dialogue held last September in Trinidad.
"I look forward to a dialogue with Government officials, private sector representatives, and opinion leaders from the region on ways to promote economic development and increased prosperity in this region," Zoellick said.
CRITICAL TO FTAA
But as both the U.S. and the Caribbean states prepare to discuss trade issues, the Caribbean's leaders were being told that their summit would be critical to the region's position on the FTAA, scheduled to be established by 2005.
Sir Shridath Ramphal, CARI-COM's former chief trade negotiator, is reported to have warned in London that if the expectations and interests of the United States were allowed to guide the course of the FTAA talks, then Caribbean countries could be asked to sign the agreement even before World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations are completed. This would make them a "big loser".
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
A former Commonwealth Secre-tary-General, Sir Shridath said much had been expected to unfold during the nine-year FTAA journey that began in 1994.
"In particular, the WTO was to have managed a process, which, through global negotiation, would have brought world trade under the sway of a new regime of rules and disciplines."
United States Government officials are saying the Ministers and Zoellick will discuss how capacity building initiatives can help Caribbean nations benefit more fully from trade negotiations. "Assisting developing countries to participate fully and effectively in trade negotiations is an important U.S. objective," Zoellick noted.
Negotiations among the 34 democracies of the Western Hemisphere on the FTAA continue, with Vice-Ministerial discussions to take place in El Salvador, July 7-11, and a Ministerial meeting this November in Miami.
