Officials Vie To Narrow APEP Focus
Officials Vie To Narrow APEP Focus
"There continues to be uncertainty around the meeting because (...) the proposal is still evolving," said AS/COA's Eric Farnsworth to Politico.
President Joe Biden is hosting on Nov. 3 the first inaugural Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Leaders summit, a framework which has yet to progress past initial consultations after its announcement in June 2022. [...]
As first reported in Morning Trade, the Biden administration will host leaders from Latin American countries at a summit to discuss economic development and migration issues the first week of November, granting the White House a chance to iron out its APEP framework amid rising scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and foreign officials.
Quick reminder: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) sent a letter earlier this month to Biden administration officials expressing skepticism over the APEP strategy and whether it could advance its goals and counter the growing influence of China in Latin America. [...]
Joe Biden will also use the meeting to reaffirm commitment “to deepen economic integration in America, drive more inclusive and sustainable economic growth and address the underlying economic causes of irregular migration,” per the White House. The program comes as bipartisan lawmakers and officials from participating countries express skepticism over the program due to a lack of concrete deliverables since its announcement
“Leaders still don’t know what it’s supposed to do or achieve,” said Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas, who consults with Latin American officials involved in APEP negotiations. “There continues to be uncertainty around the meeting because after a year and a half the proposal is still evolving.”
