MIAMI – On the eve of massive street protests by citizens from across the 34 countries of the Americas, the Trade Ministers announced yesterday that they had reached agreement on a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) draft declaration one day earlier than expected.

The final declaration, a scaled back version of the FTAA envisioned to this point, allows members to “assume different levels of commitment.”

“From the perspective of the Canadian government, this means that other countries might give up far less than Canada has under NAFTA to get the same access to the American market,” says Bill Moore-Kilgannon, Director of Campaigns and Communications for the Council of Canadians. “Everything is still on the table, however, and Minister Pettigrew is hoping the agreement might, one day, reflect the Canadian level of ‘ambition.’

The Ministers also agreed to maintain the original January 2005 deadline for the completion of the negotiations and the signing of the agreement.

“With only one year left until the final FTAA is signed, we must increase our commitment to the fight against this dangerous agreement,” said Jean-Yves Lefort, Trade Campaigner for the Council of Canadians. “In December, we’ll have a new government and a new hope to right past wrongs. It’s time for Martin to spell out his intentions and vision on this critical issue.”

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