PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
THE 15-MEMBER Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is preparing to step up its lobby of Latin American countries, in support of Trinidad's bid for the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), Foreign Minister Knowlson Gift announced Thursday.
He has revealed plans for a Caribbean mission to be led by him to visit Bolivia next week for the 13th Summit of the Ibero-American Conference, to be attended by presidents and prime ministers of 21 countries, including Spain and Portugal.
"The purpose of that annual meeting is to review and to consult with each other as member states on matters of mutual interest for individual countries as well as in the sub-regional bloc."
He said that CARICOM, which is not a member of the grouping, has been specially invited to present its case for the FTAA headquarters.
"We are very optimistic that this unique forum, where all the ministers of foreign affairs from Latin America will be there will provide us with an ideal opportunity to showcase the pluses and the positives as far as our ambitions go to become the preferred headquarters or location for the Free Trade Area of the Americas," said Gift.
He told reporters that Jamaica and Guyana have also volunteered to lead missions at the foreign ministry level, while the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has indicated a willingness to lead a separate mission to Latin America in support of Trinidad's bid.
When established, the FTAA will comprise 800 million consumers and a total
gross domestic product of US$14 trillion.
The FTAA will link 34 hemispheric countries, excluding Cuba.
Port of Spain had previously announced that it had the support of 16 countries, including 14 CARICOM states as well as Venezuela and Costa Rica.
It needs at least two more votes to secure the right to host the FTAA headquarters, for which Miami is another leading contender.
