C
carmen.sutra@hotmail.com
Guest
Canadian Press
Published: Friday, February 23, 2007
OTTAWA (CP) — There wasn’t any big news, but some of the most powerful
politicians in North America insisted they made progress Friday during
a day of talks on issues ranging from trade and security to the bird
flu.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay hosted the meeting in Ottawa
with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Mexican Foreign
Secretary Patricia Espinosa and other heavy-hitters.
MacKay offered few specifics about the meeting — part of an ongoing
discussion group called the Security and Prosperity Partnership —
saying it was about furthering co-operation to make North America a
safer place to live and a more prosperous place to work.
Rice said they touched on a wide range of issues, including public
health, environmental threats, natural disasters, organized crime,
drug trafficking, and reserves of clean energy.
The partnership has been decried by politicians and nationalist groups
in both Canada and the United States as too secretive and a potential
threat to sovereignty.
Critics say there should be more public input and legislative
oversight over decisions made on big issues such as the integration of
North American energy markets.
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said the goal of the partnership
is clear: “We want to see an enhancement . . . in terms of prosperity
and security and we also want to see the quality of life for our
citizens in each of our own sovereign nations to increase.”
He said the talks focused on five areas:
— Improving competitiveness across North America.
— Emergency management, including a trilateral working group on cross-
border security.
— Avian flu pandemic planning.
— Energy security.
— Smart, secure borders.
Rice was asked if the U.S. would reconsider its refusal to remove
Maher Arar from its security-watch list, even though Arar was cleared
of alleged terrorist links by a Canadian inquiry. She said she
respects Canada’s position, but that sometimes countries hold
different views on issues.
The Security and Prosperity Partnership seeks to make the continent
more competitive by trying to harmonize regulations and standards on
everything from food safety to clothing labels.
Much of the dialogue also deals with public safety issues, such a
common North American approach to dealing with a possible flu pandemic
or terrorist attacks.
The partnership is expected to result in recommendations for the
leaders of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico when they meet at a summit in
Canada this year.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=7b628a9f-b841-491b-9400-9361fe6fefd1&k=41869
Border issues top agenda at North American officials' meeting
OTTAWA – Senior officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico
opened talks Friday to hash out ways to thwart cross-border security
threats, cope with a potential bird flu outbreak and boost North
American trade.
With growing Mexican and Canadian concerns about U.S. border
restrictions imposed since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez were meeting
their counterparts from the two countries to consider cooperation on
the issues.
Hosted by Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, the gathering of the
two-year-old Security and Prosperity Partnership is expected to result
in recommendations for President Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderón to consider at a summit
later this year in Canada.
Neither Rice, MacKay or Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa
made any public comment as they entered the talks at the Canadian
foreign ministry where a small group of anti-U.S. protesters huddled
outside in freezing temperatures.
The officials were also meeting with the North American
Competitiveness Council – a group of business leaders – to hear
suggestions on protecting thriving flows of commerce and people that
some fear may be crippled by U.S. border restrictions.
With a combined gross domestic product of $15 trillion –
overwhelmingly from the U.S. – the three nations exchange goods and
services worth nearly $1 trillion and see about 500 million legal
border crossings a year, U.S. statistics indicate.
The value of U.S. exports to Canada over a single bridge – the
Ambassador linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario – is greater than that
of U.S. exports to Japan, they show.
Friday's meeting follows Chertoff's announcement Thursday that
children will be exempt from new rules requiring travelers to show
passports when entering the U.S. at land or sea borders.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070223-0835-us-canada-mexico.html
North American business leaders recommend 50 steps to strength cross-
border security, trade
February 23, 2007
OTTAWA: Business leaders from Canada, Mexico and the United States
gathered with the foreign ministers of those countries Friday to
propose some 50 recommendations on how to strengthen the world's
largest trading partnership.
The North American Competitiveness Council — with business leaders
from each of the three nations that comprise the North American Free
Trade Agreement — suggested ways to streamline border crossings,
harmonize regulatory standards and improve supply and distribution of
energy.
They issued a 63-page report that calls for new policies to be
introduced over three years.
"Since 1993, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has
contributed significantly to the economic competitiveness of Canada,
Mexico and the United States," reads the NACC report.
"Economic competition, however, has continued to intensify globally as
emerging powers such as China and India transform patterns of trade
and investment worldwide."
Within that competitive context, the NACC report said, the three
countries must ensure that the focus on border security since the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks does not undermine the economic
efficiencies created by NAFTA.
The report went to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Canadian
Foreign Minister Peter MacKay and Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia
Espinosa, who were in Ottawa to attend the Security and Prosperity
Partnership on border security and economic cooperation.
With a combined gross domestic product of US$15 trillion (€11.4
trillion), the three nations exchange goods and services worth nearly
US$1 trillion (€760 million) and see about 500 million legal border
crossings a year, according to U.S. government statistics.
Also attending the gathering Friday were U.S. Secretary of Homeland
Security Michael Chertoff, who announced Thursday that children would
be exempt from new rules requiring travelers to show passports when
entering the United States.
Canada's Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day, as well as Mexico's
Secretary of Economy Eduardo Sojo Garza-Aldape and Secretary of
Interior Francisco Ramirez Acuna also attended.
The Security and Prosperity Partnership was established two years ago,
at which time NACC was given a mandate to propose concrete
recommendations on security and prosperity improvements.
The 30-member NACC said they consulted hundreds of companies, industry
associations and local chambers of commerce to formulate their
recommendations.
"The first priority, improving the secure flow of goods and people
within North America, is essential to the global competitiveness of
enterprises in all three countries," the report said.
"Because production patterns within North America have become so
closely integrated, any tightening of the borders between Canada,
Mexico, and the United States threatens to erode the North American
advantage created by the NAFTA."
Among the NACC recommendations were ways to improve emergency
management and resume commerce after a terrorist attack or natural
disaster; the expansion and improvements to border infrastructure; and
better movement of goods and people across the land and sea borders of
the North American neighbors.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/23/america/NA-GEN-Canada-US-Mexico-Competitiveness.php
Published: Friday, February 23, 2007
OTTAWA (CP) — There wasn’t any big news, but some of the most powerful
politicians in North America insisted they made progress Friday during
a day of talks on issues ranging from trade and security to the bird
flu.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay hosted the meeting in Ottawa
with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Mexican Foreign
Secretary Patricia Espinosa and other heavy-hitters.
MacKay offered few specifics about the meeting — part of an ongoing
discussion group called the Security and Prosperity Partnership —
saying it was about furthering co-operation to make North America a
safer place to live and a more prosperous place to work.
Rice said they touched on a wide range of issues, including public
health, environmental threats, natural disasters, organized crime,
drug trafficking, and reserves of clean energy.
The partnership has been decried by politicians and nationalist groups
in both Canada and the United States as too secretive and a potential
threat to sovereignty.
Critics say there should be more public input and legislative
oversight over decisions made on big issues such as the integration of
North American energy markets.
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said the goal of the partnership
is clear: “We want to see an enhancement . . . in terms of prosperity
and security and we also want to see the quality of life for our
citizens in each of our own sovereign nations to increase.”
He said the talks focused on five areas:
— Improving competitiveness across North America.
— Emergency management, including a trilateral working group on cross-
border security.
— Avian flu pandemic planning.
— Energy security.
— Smart, secure borders.
Rice was asked if the U.S. would reconsider its refusal to remove
Maher Arar from its security-watch list, even though Arar was cleared
of alleged terrorist links by a Canadian inquiry. She said she
respects Canada’s position, but that sometimes countries hold
different views on issues.
The Security and Prosperity Partnership seeks to make the continent
more competitive by trying to harmonize regulations and standards on
everything from food safety to clothing labels.
Much of the dialogue also deals with public safety issues, such a
common North American approach to dealing with a possible flu pandemic
or terrorist attacks.
The partnership is expected to result in recommendations for the
leaders of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico when they meet at a summit in
Canada this year.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=7b628a9f-b841-491b-9400-9361fe6fefd1&k=41869
Border issues top agenda at North American officials' meeting
OTTAWA – Senior officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico
opened talks Friday to hash out ways to thwart cross-border security
threats, cope with a potential bird flu outbreak and boost North
American trade.
With growing Mexican and Canadian concerns about U.S. border
restrictions imposed since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez were meeting
their counterparts from the two countries to consider cooperation on
the issues.
Hosted by Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, the gathering of the
two-year-old Security and Prosperity Partnership is expected to result
in recommendations for President Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderón to consider at a summit
later this year in Canada.
Neither Rice, MacKay or Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa
made any public comment as they entered the talks at the Canadian
foreign ministry where a small group of anti-U.S. protesters huddled
outside in freezing temperatures.
The officials were also meeting with the North American
Competitiveness Council – a group of business leaders – to hear
suggestions on protecting thriving flows of commerce and people that
some fear may be crippled by U.S. border restrictions.
With a combined gross domestic product of $15 trillion –
overwhelmingly from the U.S. – the three nations exchange goods and
services worth nearly $1 trillion and see about 500 million legal
border crossings a year, U.S. statistics indicate.
The value of U.S. exports to Canada over a single bridge – the
Ambassador linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario – is greater than that
of U.S. exports to Japan, they show.
Friday's meeting follows Chertoff's announcement Thursday that
children will be exempt from new rules requiring travelers to show
passports when entering the U.S. at land or sea borders.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070223-0835-us-canada-mexico.html
North American business leaders recommend 50 steps to strength cross-
border security, trade
February 23, 2007
OTTAWA: Business leaders from Canada, Mexico and the United States
gathered with the foreign ministers of those countries Friday to
propose some 50 recommendations on how to strengthen the world's
largest trading partnership.
The North American Competitiveness Council — with business leaders
from each of the three nations that comprise the North American Free
Trade Agreement — suggested ways to streamline border crossings,
harmonize regulatory standards and improve supply and distribution of
energy.
They issued a 63-page report that calls for new policies to be
introduced over three years.
"Since 1993, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has
contributed significantly to the economic competitiveness of Canada,
Mexico and the United States," reads the NACC report.
"Economic competition, however, has continued to intensify globally as
emerging powers such as China and India transform patterns of trade
and investment worldwide."
Within that competitive context, the NACC report said, the three
countries must ensure that the focus on border security since the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks does not undermine the economic
efficiencies created by NAFTA.
The report went to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Canadian
Foreign Minister Peter MacKay and Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia
Espinosa, who were in Ottawa to attend the Security and Prosperity
Partnership on border security and economic cooperation.
With a combined gross domestic product of US$15 trillion (€11.4
trillion), the three nations exchange goods and services worth nearly
US$1 trillion (€760 million) and see about 500 million legal border
crossings a year, according to U.S. government statistics.
Also attending the gathering Friday were U.S. Secretary of Homeland
Security Michael Chertoff, who announced Thursday that children would
be exempt from new rules requiring travelers to show passports when
entering the United States.
Canada's Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day, as well as Mexico's
Secretary of Economy Eduardo Sojo Garza-Aldape and Secretary of
Interior Francisco Ramirez Acuna also attended.
The Security and Prosperity Partnership was established two years ago,
at which time NACC was given a mandate to propose concrete
recommendations on security and prosperity improvements.
The 30-member NACC said they consulted hundreds of companies, industry
associations and local chambers of commerce to formulate their
recommendations.
"The first priority, improving the secure flow of goods and people
within North America, is essential to the global competitiveness of
enterprises in all three countries," the report said.
"Because production patterns within North America have become so
closely integrated, any tightening of the borders between Canada,
Mexico, and the United States threatens to erode the North American
advantage created by the NAFTA."
Among the NACC recommendations were ways to improve emergency
management and resume commerce after a terrorist attack or natural
disaster; the expansion and improvements to border infrastructure; and
better movement of goods and people across the land and sea borders of
the North American neighbors.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/23/america/NA-GEN-Canada-US-Mexico-Competitiveness.php
