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Bush To Go To Argentina, Brazil, Panama In Nov

UPDATE: Bush To Go To Argentina, Brazil, Panama In Nov

(Updates with new details)



WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- President George W. Bush will meet with other Western Hemisphere leaders in Argentina next month to discuss ways to boost trade and fight poverty.

The White House Wednesday said Bush will participate in the Summit of the Americas on Nov. 3-5 in Mar del Plata, Argentina - a meeting of the region's 34 democratically elected leaders. Bush is to meet separately with Argentine President Nestor Carlos Kirchner, and then travel to Brazil for a meeting with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and to Panama for a meeting with President Martin Torrijos Espino.

The Summit of the Americas, which will be Bush's third, will focus on closing the gap between rich and poor and strengthening governance. The U.S. is expected to push for more pro-growth policies and attempt to revive stalled trade agreements.

"We expect the fourth Summit of the Americas to express support and build momentum for the Doha Round on tariff reduction and for the Free Trade Area of the Americas," John Maisto, U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States, said in a speech in Miami last week. "Expanding trade is good for economic growth and also encourages policy reforms and good government to meet international competition."

The Free Trade Area of the Americas was formally launched in 1994 and scheduled to be completed earlier this year. The 34-country pact, however, has stalled over some countries' fears that they wouldn't be able to compete with U.S. goods.

In a statement, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush's participation in the summit will allow him "to continue his dialogue with the hemisphere's democratically elected leaders, highlight our engagement in the region, and promote the consolidation of democracy and the expansion of economic opportunity and prosperity through open markets and free trade."



-By Henry J. Pulizzi, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9256; henry.pulizzi@dowjones.com



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 05, 2005 12:50 ET (16:50 GMT)

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