The Colombian economy is strong and its capital market is reasonably well-valued, according to speakers at the AS/COA 2007 Latin American Cities Conference in Bogota. Our 11th Colombian conference convened over 900 private sector representatives and decision makers.

Colombian President Álvaro Uribe and key Western Hemisphere ministers explored issues at the forefront of the U.S.-Western Hemisphere agenda during the 37th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas. View a pictorial and summary of the conference.

In testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth calls on Congress to pass the pending bilateral trade agreement and re-authorize Plan Colombia. “The time to act is now” to support one of the strongest U.S. allies in the region.

In office for just over a month, Minister Araujo outlines Colombia’s foreign policy goals both in the Andean Region and globally. Held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) until December 2006, Minister Araujo provides an inside look at prospects for peace.

To explore energy policy in the Andean Region, with a specific focus on Colombia, the Americas Society and Council of the Americas convened media and public sector experts to look at energy reform, energy integration, and oil production and exploration. This summary provides an overview of the main points from the discussion.

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

In testimony to U.S. Congress, COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth offered support for the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.