“Today’s meeting between the two presidents is an important step forward in advancing the dialogue on the future of U.S.-Colombia relations, including the trade agreement.
“In a region that faces a growing threat of political and social instability, Colombia remains one of the United States’ strongest democratic allies.
“Colombia is working hand-in-hand with the United States in the war against drugs, and broader than that, to dismantle the terrorist groups who benefit from the drug trade and whose illegal actions contribute to the violence that plagues the region.
“President Uribe should be commended for the progress his administration has made on this front. During his presidency, he has helped Colombia to turn the page on its past, strengthen the rule of law and democratic institutions, and provide economic opportunity and social advancement to the Colombian people.
“The United States and Colombia must continue to work together to strengthen our strategic and economic ties to ensure that those advances are sustained. Expanding trade relations is central to progress on other elements of the U.S.-Colombia bilateral agenda.
“We call on the Administration to work with the Colombian Government to agree on clear and measurable benchmarks to demonstrate the necessary progress on outstanding issues to bring the trade agreement before the U.S. Congress by a date certain.”
About the NFTC
Advancing Global Commerce for 95 Years – The National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org) is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules-based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC now serves hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.
