Free trade zone in Americas to be launched in 2005

Leaders of 34 countries in the Western hemisphere wave during the official photo session of the Third America`s Summit in Quebec City, Canada, Saturday. They agreed to launch a free trade zone in North and South America by December 2005.

Presidents of 21 countries, except Cuba, and prime ministers of 13 countries in the Americas, revealed in their closing statement after a three-day summit that they would conclude negotiations on the creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by January 2005 and have free-trade agreement go into effect by the end of that year.