• by IPS Correspondents (caracas)
• Thursday, November 10, 1994
• Inter Press Service

CARACAS, Nov 10 (IPS) - The summit of 34 heads of American nations to be held December in Miamiin the U.S. state of Floridashould be seen as a process rather than an end, according to the coordinator of the unprecedented meeting, Luis Lauredo.

"(U.S.) President Bill Clinton has a very personal interest in pushing the economic integration process, but the summit should not be seen as an end (in and of itself), but as the continuation of a long process," said the summit's executive director.

The Dec. 9-11 summit will bring together, for the first time, the heads of state of all American nations - with the exception of Cuba.

However, the hottest issue for Clinton, that of trade integration projects which would broaden the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), was recently blocked by a congressional decision which denied the executive branch the power to enter into further accords.

Lauredo, owner of a Miami aviation company, is a Cuban-American who was named by Clinton to organise the summit which 33 Latin American and Caribbean heads of state will attend.

During a brief visit to Caracas, he told the daily 'Economia Hoy' that the summit "coincides with the impact of NAFTA's implementation.

"The psychological impact cannot be ignored: two Anglo-Saxon countries admit a Latin American country as equal. It is a giant step in inter-American relations."

He added that Cuba "excluded itself because it has a dictatorship rather than a democratic system. (That reason) is not on the formal agenda, but is the primary reason Cuba did not qualify for the invitation.

"I suppose that in any normal conversation of intelligent human beings that exception would be understood."

Finally, Lauredo stated that no document is set to be signed in the summit, but "it is possible that in the full session to be held on Dec. 11, with the presence of - hopefully - some 5,000 reporters, a communique will be signed."

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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