Pubdate: Tue, 03 Apr 2012
Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN)
Copyright: 2012 The Leader-Post Ltd.
Contact: http://www.leaderpost.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor.html
Website: http://www.leaderpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361
Author: Mark Kennedy

HARPER PLEDGES TO BOOST ECONOMIC GROWTH AT SUMMIT

PM Meets With Obama, Calderon

WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Stephen Harper emerged from a "Three 
Amigos" summit Monday pledging to work with his counterparts on joint 
efforts to boost economic growth and trade, fight organized drug 
crime and promote energy development.

And while he secured a public endorsement from U.S. President Barack 
Obama for Canada's aspirations to join negotiations in the proposed 
Trans-pacific Partnership, there is still no guarantee the U.S. and 
others won't demand stiff concessions from Harper.

Harper met with Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon at the 
White House on Monday. After the two-hour meeting, the leaders issued 
a joint written statement outlining future areas of cooperation, and 
met with reporters under sunny skies in the Rose Garden, just outside 
the Oval Office.

"Canada places the highest value on the friendship and partnership 
among our three countries," said Harper. "We form one of the world's 
largest free-trade zones, which has been of great benefit to all our nations."

The prime minister also said he was pleased that Obama has once again 
"welcomed" Canada's "interest" in joining talks for the TPP - a 
proposed free-trade zone that promises to be one of the world's most 
important trade agreements.

The TPP is currently a nine-member Asia-pacific free-trade proposal 
being negotiated among the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, 
Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Canada, Japan and Mexico have all signalled they want in on the talks.

But Canada's entry into the TPP is being blocked by some countries, 
and it's believed the U.S. and New Zealand have had the most serious concerns.

The opponents say Canada should not join the negotiations until it 
first, as a precondition, promises to abandon the long-standing 
supply management system that protects fewer than 20,000 dairy and 
poultry farmers.

The system protects farmers behind tariffs, assigns them production 
quotas and forces Canadians to pay higher prices for products like 
milk, cheese, chicken and eggs.

Asked if Canada is prepared to give up its supply management system 
in order to get a seat at the negotiating table, Harper did not 
answer directly but appeared to suggest he's not ready to bow to 
those demands at the outset.

"Canada's position on Trans-pacific Partnership is the same as our 
position in any trade negotiation," he said. "We expect to negotiate 
and debate all manner of issues, and we seek ambitious outcomes to 
free-trade agreements. In those negotiations, of course, you know, 
Canada will attempt to promote and to defend Canada's interests, not 
just across the economy, but in individual sectors, as well."

For his part, Obama said he's "pleased" that Canada wants to join the 
TPP, adding that "consultations" are now underway among the nine 
nations currently involved in negotiations "on how new members can 
meet the high standards of this trade agreement."

"Every country that's participating is going to have to make some 
modifications," Obama said. "That's inherent in the process, because 
each of our countries have their own idiosyncrasies, certain 
industries that have in the past been protected, certain practices 
that may be unique to that country, but end up creating disadvantages 
for businesses from other countries."

Among the other major issues discussed at the summit was the dangers 
posed to all three countries by the drug cartels in Mexico and the 
growth of organized crime.

Calderon, whose country has been battling the drug trade, told 
reporters it is critical for North America to take action to stop the 
demand for drugs from Mexico, crack down on money laundering, and 
squeeze the cross-border shipment of weapons.

"Thinking that what happens in Mexico doesn't have anything to do 
with the security of the citizens of this country or of any other 
citizen of North America is a mistake," said Calderon.

"We have to understand that we are all tied to one another."

In their joint statement, the three nations recognize that "all of 
our citizens are adversely affected by transnational organized crime."

"We commit to direct our national efforts and deepen our cooperation 
against all facets of this common challenge based on the principles 
of shared responsibility, mutual trust, and respect. We intend to 
further share expertise and information and to co-operate in key 
areas such as countering arms trafficking and money laundering 
consistent with our laws and constitutions."

Harper told reporters that the drug trade in Mexico is something that 
affects Canadians right in their own communities.

"As these criminal networks are transnational, it's important that 
our attempts to fight them should be equally transnational."

Obama also said the scourge of the Mexican drug trade is finding its 
way directly into U.S. and Canadian cities and rural areas.

"You go into rural communities and you've got methamphetamine sales 
that are devastating, you know, young and old alike, and some of that 
is originally sourced in Mexico," said Obama.

"And so even in the remotest, most isolated parts of Canada or the 
United States, they're being impacted by this drug trade. And we've 
got to work co-operatively in order to deal with it."

Among the other priorities and actions outlined in the leaders' joint 
statement:

The countries pledge "to introduce timely and tangible regulatory 
measures to enable innovation and growth while ensuring high 
standards of public health, safety, and environmental protection. We 
will continue to reduce transaction costs and improve the existing 
business environment." The statement says that by eliminating 
"unnecessary regulatory differences," smaller businesses are better 
equipped to participate in an integrated North American economy.

The leaders say that "continued North American competitiveness 
requires secure supply chains and efficient borders. We remain 
committed to achieving this through cooperative approaches."

The leaders say that cooperation on energy "reduces the cost of doing 
business and enhances economic competitiveness" for the three 
countries. "We recognize the growing regional and federal cooperation 
in the area of continental energy, including electricity generation 
and interconnection and welcome increasing North American energy trade.

"We commit our governments to work with all stakeholders to deepen 
such cooperation to enhance our collective energy security, including 
the safe and efficient exploration and exploitation of resources."

The countries have also released a new plan to provide more 
cooperation "to strengthen our response to future animal and pandemic 
influenza events in North America and commit to its implementation."

This was the sixth annual North American leaders summit - also known 
as the Three Amigos Summit.

The leaders also used the one-day summit to prepare for another 
meeting they will attend in mid-April in Cartagena, Colombia. That 
gathering - the Summit of the Americas - involves leaders from the 
nations that comprise the Organization of American States.

After that meeting, Harper will travel to Chile - where it's expected 
he will make a pitch for Canada's request to join negotiations in the TPP.

Chile is one of the original signatories to the nine countries from 
Asia and the Americas now negotiating access to the free-trade partnership.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom