It is easy to make statements but our commitment and resolve towards this process will be tested. The test will come when we return to our capital cities and we encounter lobbying by various groups with narrow or partisan interests to stall the FTAA process. The instructions given to our negotiators must pay heed to the fact that we are not a homogenous group of countries and therefore if we want the process to succeed we have to overcome the differences that exist. It is no secret that reducing tariff barriers alone would not lead to a level playing field. In many developing countries the financial system is shallow and the cost of doing business is high.
Small economies are unable to capitalise on economies of scale.
We need therefore a free trade area which would take into account the concerns of these small economies. It is in this regard that I wholeheartedly support the call made by Prime Minister Patterson of Jamaica for us to commit now to the creation of a Regional Integration Fund to allow these economies to compete effectively in the process. With regard to connecting the Americas, we need the support of our regional institutions in this process. These institutions would however have to undergo changes in their operational procedures so that they could develop the capacity to deliver on requests made by countries of the hemisphere for assistance in the development of information technology.