I don't believe I need to underscore for you the tremendous importance of trade with Latin America to the United States. This trend will continue. That's what I'd call a win-win situation. Clearly, we are on the right track. The integration of economies throughout the Latin American region is greater now than ever before, and it will continue, allowing producers and consumers access to a wider variety of higher quality goods, at lower prices.
Businesses see opportunities for growth and prosperity.
Governments see opportunities for stability and security. And a partnership between government and business is essential to accelerating trade, the engine for hemispheric economic growth. And that's why groups like CEAL are such critical actors in the process. Among the Summit of the America's many achievements, the best known and most dramatic for the private sector was probably the decision by the 34 democratically elected leaders to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas by 2005. We have set very ambitious goals.