Martinelli Says There's "No Hurry" For US-Panama FTA Ratification

(Panama-Guide)The president, Ricardo Martinelli, said yesterday that "there is no hurry of any kind" for the Congress of the United States to ratify the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between the two countries in 2007. His reaction came after an inquiry from the news agency AFP after the remarks of the US president, Barack Obama, who in a speech before Congress on Tuesday said the FTA with Panama would materialize only if it created jobs for the United States, and he gave no signs of an early ratification.

Martinelli, who in 2008 was highly critical of the management of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), for putting "their partisan interests above the interests of the country," is how downplaying the deal, saying it is more of interest for US investments and products.

Former Foreign Minister Jorge Ritter was skeptical of the arguments of the President, because if the FTA is so beneficial for the US, then it should be "Obama imploring us to approve it." On 12 January Martinelli said he had called for a meeting with Obama to push for the FTA because he felt it was timely.

According Laurentino Cortizo, former Minister of Agriculture and member of the PRD, these are "confusing contradictions." Former president Mireya Moscoso said the FTA is very important for Panama, while the Chamber of Commerce said they would continue to defend the FTA because they believe it brings benefits to Panama.

Former Trade Minister Joaquin Jacome said he shares the frustration felt by Martinelli, who has not been able to achieve the ratification of the agreement thus far during his administration, and he suggested further efforts in this direction. (La Prensa)