MIAMI : The Americas Summit
The leaders of the United States and 33 other countries of the Western Hemisphere will begin a three-day Summit of the Americas in Miami on Friday aimed at establishing a free-trade zone.
With the issues of commerce and business heading the agenda of almost every Latin American and Caribbean country, the presidents and prime ministers at the U.S.-convened summit hope to reach agreement on specific steps to expand trade and foreign investment. However, no timetable will be set for economic integration, something some officials see as a drawback.
It is the first meeting in nearly 30 years of so many of the hemisphere’s presidents and prime ministers. The White House invited every national leader except Cuba’s Fidel Castro.
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