SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP):
The leaders of the Dominican Republic and Canada have agreed to begin negotiations for a free trade agreement between their nations.
Dominican President Leonel Fernandez and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin reached the decision during a meeting Sunday on the sidelines of the Americas summit in Argentina.
The leaders agreed to appoint commissions to work out details of a possible agreement but did not set a timeline for the negotiations.
Two-way trade between Canada and the Dominican Republic reached US$101 million in 2004. Dominican exports to Canada totalled US$71 million, while Canadian imports to the Caribbean country totalled US$30 million.
The Dominican Republic's main exports to Canada include cocoa, grains, tobacco and coffee.
The Dominican Republic recently joined five Latin American countries in signing the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the United States.
