Public
FTAA.ngin/com/24
July 25, 2003

Original: Spanish
Translation: FTAA Secretariat

FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON INVESTMENT

Twenty-Fourth Meeting

Puebla, Mexico, 21-24 July 2003

PRESS COMMUNIQUÉ

1. The Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Negotiating Group on Investment (NGIN) was held in Puebla, Mexico, from 21 to 24 July 2003, with the participation of the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, and Uruguay.

2. The approved agenda for the discussions is attached hereto as Annex I.

3. Under the first item on the agenda, delegations held bilateral meetings on their market access offers.

4. Under the second item on the agenda, Report from the Chair on TNC-San Salvador, the Group discussed the guidelines and instructions issued at the most recent meeting of the TNC. These mandates are classified as document FTAA.TNC/23.

5. Under the third item on the agenda, Draft Chapter, the delegations exchanged opinions and made progress in consolidating the draft text on the following: scope of application, basic definitions, national treatment, most-favored-nation treatment, fair and equitable treatment, exceptions, reservations, and dispute settlement. Several delegations presented new proposals on these issues, which were incorporated into the draft text of the Chapter on Investment.

6. Under the fourth item on the agenda, the NGIN held a joint meeting with the NGSV to discuss the issue of commercial presence/investments in services (mode 3), in accordance with the instructions issued by the TNC in document FTAA.TNC/22.

7. Under the fifth item on the agenda, Discussion on the structure of the NGIN report to the Fifteenth Meeting of the TNC, it was agreed that the Chair would circulate, prior to the next meeting, a draft report from the NGIN to the TNC for the consideration of the delegations.

8. Under the sixth item on the agenda, the Group discussed relations with other FTAA entities.

9. The Chair reported that, since the last meeting, one contribution had been received from civil society.

10. With regard to Other business, the Group discussed its agenda for the next meeting.

11. The Group’s Twenty-Fifth Meeting will be held in Puebla, Mexico, from 25 to 29 August 2003.

 AGENDA

MONDAY 21 JULY