Central America To
Accept Costa Rica's
Extension To The TLC
The governments of
Central America will
accept Costa Rica's
request for an extension
in ratifying the Tratado
de Libre Comercio (TLC)
- free trade agreement
between Costa Rica, the
United States and
Central America.
According to Ministro de
Comercio Exterior (Foriegn
Trade minister), Marco
Vinicio Ruiz, his
counterparts in Central
America have said they
have no objection to
granting an extension.
Ruiz said that the he
has talked to foreign
trade ministers in the
region and they all see
no objection to Costa
Rica's request, although
the confirmation is only
verbal, as Costa Rica
has yet to make a formal
request for an
extension.
Minister Ruiz added that
he personally spoke by
telephone to Orlando
Solórzano, ministro de
Fomento, Industria y
Comercio de Nicaragua,
who told him that
Nicaraguan president,
Daniel Ortega, has no
objection, removing a
concern of Costa Ricans
of their closest
neighbour.
According to Ruiz, Costa
Rica is going to present
its formal request on
February 28, ahead of
the March 1 deadline to
have the trade agreement
ratified.
Costa Rica decided, by
referendum last October
7, to ratify the trade
deal. However, a series
of parallel laws must be
approved by the
Legislature before the
trade deal can go into
effect, of which only
two of the 11 laws have
passed second and final
reading, and four still
waiting first vote as
the Legislative Assembly
moves at a snails pace.
According to minister
Ruiz, the extension does
not come cheap,
explaining that the
delay is just another
setback in the
implementation of the
trade deal and for the
country to begin free
trade with its
commercial partners, who
have all ratified and
have the trade deal in
effect. |
|
