forwarded by Michael Hoover > Miami urged as site for trade talks > > By Sue Schultz, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer > Wednesday, April 12, 2000 > > WASHINGTON -- Miami should be the permanent site for > free trade talks in the Americas, Congress voted Tuesday. > > "Locating the (free trade area) talks in Miami makes sense," > said Rep. E. Clay Shaw Jr., R-Fort Lauderdale, who > introduced the non-binding bill in the House. A similar bill > by Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., was approved by the Senate > in November. > > "The city of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and the state of > Florida have long served as the gateway for trade with the > Caribbean and Latin America," Shaw said. > > In 1998, the trade ministers of 34 countries decided to > create a permanent location for the Free Trade Area of the > Americas to hold all negotiations. Miami is currently one of > the temporary sites that was selected by officials, along with > Panama City, Panama, and Mexico City, Mexico. > > A permanent site will be chosen in 2005. > > "If the FTAA permanently locates in Miami . . . it will join > the ranks of Washington and New York as the only American > cities to host a large international organization," Shaw said.
