The Colombian ambassador to the United States declared her wish Thursday that the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (FTA) be put into action in 2010.
“We cherish the hope that this year it will work out … we all know that the motor of the American economy is trade, and for this reason we believe that it is possible to speak about the FTA in positive terms, and that is what we are doing now,” the ambassador told journalists in Bogota, reported W Radio.
Colombian Ambassador to the U.S. Carolina Barco will attend a meeting between President Alvaro Uribe and American Congressmen in Cartagena on Saturday at which the president will urge swift implementation of the FTA.
President Uribe stated Wednesday “I have a meeting on Saturday with a group of parliamentarians from the United States and I will say with all honesty and with all solidarity that we need the rapid adoption of this agreement.”
The president asserted that “there is no reason for this treaty to be further delayed,” because Colombia is not only leading the fight against terrorism and against the drug trade, but also continues to protect human rights and the rights of workers.
The Colombia-U.S. FTA was signed by Uribe and former U.S. President George W. Bush in 2006, but has not yet been ratified by U.S. Congress due to concerns over workers’ rights in Colombia.