Colombian President Arrives in Bolivia
La Paz
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe arrived Tuesday in the Bolivian capital in a surprise visit due to a bilateral commercial crisis caused by a free trade agreement between his government and the US.
Uribe was received by Vice President Alvaro Garcia before both went to meet with President Evo Morales in the government headquarters.
The visitor pointed out that Colombia would continue as an important purchaser of Bolivian soy, focus of the crisis, and noted he has strengthened relations with Bolivia.
Garcia said the Bolivian position toward Colombia evidences the respect to the regulations set by the Andean Community of Nations, committing that country with the protection provided by Bolivia for market facilities.
The FTA between the US and Colombia virtually closes that market to Bolivian oleaginous products, one of the country's main exports, as it is now open for the US, a subsidized market impossible to compete with, said local experts.
President Morales treated the matter in the meeting he held Saturday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Chile during the inauguration of President Michelle Bachelet.
Deputy Minister of International Economic Relations Maria Luisa Ramos said the US should consider whether it wishes to maintain Bolivian stability and prevent a possible conflict due to the economic crisis' negative effects with loss of Colombia's soy market.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe arrived Tuesday in the Bolivian capital in a surprise visit due to a bilateral commercial crisis caused by a free trade agreement between his government and the US.
Uribe was received by Vice President Alvaro Garcia before both went to meet with President Evo Morales in the government headquarters.
The visitor pointed out that Colombia would continue as an important purchaser of Bolivian soy, focus of the crisis, and noted he has strengthened relations with Bolivia.
Garcia said the Bolivian position toward Colombia evidences the respect to the regulations set by the Andean Community of Nations, committing that country with the protection provided by Bolivia for market facilities.
The FTA between the US and Colombia virtually closes that market to Bolivian oleaginous products, one of the country's main exports, as it is now open for the US, a subsidized market impossible to compete with, said local experts.
President Morales treated the matter in the meeting he held Saturday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Chile during the inauguration of President Michelle Bachelet.
Deputy Minister of International Economic Relations Maria Luisa Ramos said the US should consider whether it wishes to maintain Bolivian stability and prevent a possible conflict due to the economic crisis' negative effects with loss of Colombia's soy market.
posted by Alice at
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
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