Economic Growth Through
Increased Trade
Washington, DC
September 24, 2001
Following the
September 24 meeting, United States Trade Representative, Robert B. Zoellick,
Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship,
Adalberto Rodríguez Giavarini; Brazilian Foreign Minister, Celso
Lafer; Paraguayan Foreign Minister, José Antonio Moreno Rufinelli
and Uruguayan Foreign Minister, Didier Opertti are pleased to release the
following Joint Statement which outlines the overall results:
We, The Ministers
Responsible for de Trade of the United States and the Member States of
Mercosur –Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay- met on September 24,
2001, in Washington, D.C., under the auspices of the 1991 Rose Garden Agreement.
Recent events have crystallized for us the importance of a strong trade
relationship among our countries in order to encourage economic growth.
In this time of crisis, we recognize, as we did in 1991, the importance
of promoting an open and predictable environment for trade and investment
and the significant role economic environment plays in the consolidation
of the democratic institutions we cherish. We are determined to built on
the foundations of the Rose Garden Agreement in facing the challenges ahead.
We note that in
1991 we agreed to work toward the conclusion an implementation of the Uruguay
Round. Today, we resolve to use the Rose Garden Agreement as a means to
unite in our efforts to launch an ambitious new WTO round at the Doha Ministerial
in November of this year. We pledge to work together in pursuing a market-oriented
agriculture trading system and to open markets for agricultural products.
We also agree to redouble our efforts to ensure the successful conclusion
of the Free Trade Area of the Americas no later than January 2005.
The FTAA is a crucial
part of the hemispheric effort, centered in the Summit of The Americas,
to create el region of democracy, economic growth and prosperity, and the
rule of law. In addition, we have decided to reinvigorate the Council on
Trade and Investment established by the Rose Garden Agreement. It will
carry out a work program, which will allow us to pursue our goal of free
trade and in the immediate term to explore ways to contribute to economic
growth and sustainability through better market access. In order to carry
out a program of work in areas of mutual interest, we have established
working groups in the areas of agricultural trade, industrial trade, investment
development and electronic commerce.
In order to prepare
for this meeting and ensure the success of subsequent meetings of the Council
on Trade an Investment, we have each appointed a Four-Plus-One coordinator.
We have directed our coordinators to carry out the work program we have
decided upon today.
To that end, we
agreed that the Council on Trade and Investment will meet toward the end
of the current year. At that meeting we will review progress in the WTO,
coordinate our FTAA efforts in supports of this crucial phase of negotiations,
and agree on measures to deepen our trade relationship in specific areas
and overall.
We are firmly committed
to pursuing free trade through the launch of the next WTO round, the completion
of the Free Trade Area of the Americas and the removal of impediments to
trade and investment flows through the work of the Council on Trade and
Investment.