The Inter-American Development Bank will host on June 14-15 in Washington, D.C. a workshop for Central American ministers to discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by future negotiations for a free trade agreement between Central America and the United States.
In January U.S. President George W. Bush expressed interest in exploring the possibilities of a free trade agreement with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Central American presidents welcomed the U.S. initiative and agreed to start talks as soon as possible. The United States is Central America’s principal trading partner and its main source of foreign direct investment.
The workshop is being organized by the IDB’s Integration and Regional Programs Department, which provides technical support to trade and integration initiatives in the Western Hemisphere, including the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, Plan Puebla Panama and the South American Regional Infrastructure Integration Initiative.