On Wednesday November 19th, Mayor Shirley Franklin convened a meeting with Atlanta’s 50 member consular corps to discuss the City’s bid for the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) secretariat. Mayor Franklin said, “With more than 1,600 companies representing 39 countries in Atlanta and Georgia, Atlanta has a strong history of welcoming people and businesses from around the world. Our diverse industry base, wealth of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 company headquarters and world class universities provide the corporate and educational strengths to effectively serve FTAA member nations.” If located in Atlanta, the secretariat is projected to bring 27,000 new jobs to Atlanta and Georgia.
Mayor Franklin, who serves on the board of Hemisphere, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation established last year to oversee Atlanta’s effort, informed the group that Hemisphere’s Latin American and Caribbean missions have marketed Atlanta throughout the Americas and have also opened dialogue on issues surrounding trade and commerce in the Americas. “Our mission has been not only to inform our hemispheric neighbors of Atlanta’s strengths, but also to learn about each country’s issues, business community and aspirations for the FTAA and its secretariat,” she said. Members of the Hemisphere board and staff are in Miami this week attending the Americas Business Forum, at which 34 Western Hemisphere trade ministers will negotiate free trade agreements.
The meeting was also attended by Atlanta’s Sister Cities Commission, which includes four cities in the free trade area.
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