Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said Saturday hopes his country’s long-stalled free trade agreement with the U.S. will be ratified by U.S. Congress Wednesday.
“We are on the homestretch. This week the Senate committee should approve [the FTA] and we hope that Wednesday it is possible that it is passed” in both the House and Senate, Santos said at a public meeting in the town of Cocorno, Antioquia.
“Finally, after 20 years we have been seeking this treaty, it is very possible that this Wednesday we make it,” the President added.
According to Santos, an approval of the FTA is “an enormous opportunity,” but added that “we also have to work and prepare ourselves to profit from the most important market in the world.”
“Because of this we will enter a process of preparation” so the country is ready to compete with American suppliers of services and goods.
Santos estimated that, if approved by the two U.S. chambers, the trade deal will become active mid 2012 at the latest.
