Immigration, pending hemispheric free-trade agreements, economic policy, and Latin American development initiatives were discussed at the Washington Launch of the new AS/COA policy journal, Americas Quarterly, on Wednesday, May 30, and covered live by C-SPAN 2.

Key Western Hemisphere ministers such as Thomas Shannon explored issues at the forefront of the U.S.-Western Hemisphere agenda during the 37th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas.

Making Mexico a foreign policy priority can increase U.S. security and prosperity, write COA’s Eric Farnsworth and Monica Guevera in Latin Business Chronicle.

U.S. ability to address significant global challenges would be directly enhanced by closer coordination with willing Latin American partners. An enhanced relationship with Brazil is central to this new strategic approach.

Just days before President Bush departed for a five-country tour of Latin America, COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth outlined key areas of cooperation at a hearing before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

Ambassador Veroneau discusses labor standards in pending hemispheric free-trade agreements and looks more broadly at trade promotion with Brazil and the rest of the Americas. How does Latin America’s developing trade relationship with Asia affect U.S. interests?

Topics in this issue: U.S. Free-Trade Agreements with Colombia, Peru and Panama
• Market access
• Services and investment
• Labor
• Export growth