Letter to Minister Pettigrew: Free Trade Agreements with Andean Countries

Dear Minister Pettigrew,

I write in response to your request for advice and views on the agreement between Canada and the Andean countries to begin exploratory discussions towards a proposed free trade agreement. I also note that the Government of Canada has agreed to commence similar talks towards a separate agreement with the Dominican Republic. The discussion is important to us because Canadian churches maintain many long-standing relationships with partners and civil society movements in those countries.

I appreciate the detail with which you outlined the dollar value of our relationships with those countries but I would certainly want to say strongly that dollar value is not the only thing to consider in relationships between countries. While I also appreciate the fact that on page 2 of your letter you outline the perceived benefits of such an agreement for both Canada and the other countries involved, I do have some significant priorities and considerations to raise. As we stated in our April 9, 2001 letter on the occasion of the Summit of the Americas, what is important is not just a trade agreement but the ethical implications of those agreements and promoting values that inform building a more neighbourly economy.