Uruguayan
President Tabare Vazquez, top left, and
U.S. President George W. Bush shown in
a Summit of the Americas group photo.
Leaders from the 34 democratic nations
of the Western Hemisphere convened at
the summit November 4-5 in Mar del Plata
to address the region's political, economic
and social challenges. Also pictured are,
the president of Bolivia Eduardo Rodriguez,
bottom left, and Vice President Alberto
Diaz Lobo of Honduras, top right. (White
House photo by Paul Morse)
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Mar del Plata, Argentina -- President Bush
departed for Brazil, but Summit of the Americas negotiations
continued at this seaside resort.
Leaders from the 34 democratic nations of
the Western Hemisphere convened at the summit November 4-5
in Mar del Plata to address the region's political, economic
and social challenges.
The U.S. president joined other leaders
at the summit, but because he is visiting Brazil November
5-6 at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio
Lula da Silva, Bush left Argentina for Brazil, as scheduled,
at approximately 3:30 p.m. on November 5. Assistant Secretary
of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon remained
engaged in the summit talks on behalf of the United States.
"President Bush and Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice made their arguments and left Assistant
Secretary Shannon to continue negotiations," said a
senior White House official.
The U.S. official added that the United
States was pleased with the summit talks thus far, including
the willingness of a great majority of the 34 Western Hemisphere
democracies participating in the Summit to move forward
with efforts to craft a proposed Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA).
"We feel very good about the negotiations
at this time," the official said. "Twenty-nine
countries are ready to move forward on the FTAA."
If the FTAA is established, it would create
a hemisphere-wide free-trade zone stretching from Alaska
to Argentina.
For ongoing coverage of the meeting in Argentina,
see Summit
of the Americas.
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