On Thursday, USTR officials participated in a public session as part of a series of U.S.-Peru Environmental Meetings that took place May 29-31 in Washington, D.C. During the public session, U.S. and Peruvian government officials, and stakeholders from environmental organizations, engaged in a robust conversation on the U.S.-Peru trade agreement and its relationship to the Amazon rainforest. U.S. and Peruvian officials addressed implementation and enforcement questions and emphasized their commitment to rule of law, transparency and the environment. By connecting the sustainable land management practices of indigenous Amazonian populations to international efforts to curb the trade of illegal timber, an overriding sentiment emerged that economic growth and environmental protection can be mutually supportive.
Amy Karpel, USTR Director for Environment & Natural Resources, Addresses
U.S. and Peruvian Officials on May 31, 2012.
