Biography Vice President Bazan (See Speech Below)
Dominador Kaiser Bazán was elected Second Vice President of the Republic of Panama in May 1999 and took over his responsibilities in September of the same year. He is the founder of Ingenieria Caribe, S.A, which for more than 35 years has played an important role in the construction and development of Panama.

Vice President Bazán served as Ambassador of Panama to the United States and Canada for almost two years. Under the Government of President Chiari he served as Vice Minister and Minister of Public Works. He was Executive Director of Roads, Airports as well as Quay Commission and past member of the board of directors of the Agronomy Reform Commission. From 1984-1986 Vice President Bazán was the General Director of the Social Security of Panama.

In the private sector Vice President Kaiser Bazán has held positions such as President of the Panamanian Construction Chamber (CAPAC); President of the National Counsel of Private Enterprise (CoNEP); President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama; President of the Federations of Chambers of Commerce of the Republic of Panama; and President & Founder of EXPOCOMER. He is an active member of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects, President of the Latin American Federation of the Construction Industry (FIIC), member of the Executive Committee of the Inter American Council of Commerce and Production (CICyP), and President of the National Association for Economic Development (ANADECO).

Vice President Bazán is founder and current member of the board of directors of the Private Sector Council for Educational Assistance (COSPAE); "Godfather" of the Santa Maria la Antigua University, and Director of the Panamanian Chapter of the prestigious University Center, INCAE. He is a founder of Fundación ANDE, through which he has participated in key projects for the creation of employment and the fight against drugs among others.

Vice President Bazán has been recognized with the following distinctions: Declared Meritorious Son of the Cities of Panama and Colon; Presidential Distinction of the Panamanian Chamber of Commerce; William Ross Medallion-C.A.P.A.C.; Ralph De Lima Medallion- COSPAE; Florencio H. Icaza Award- S.P.I.A; and Presea Federación Interamericana de la Industria de la Construcción "F.I.I.C."

Vice President Bazán received a Bachelor degree in Science from West Point Academy and a Master in Civil Engineering from Stanford University.

SPEECH BY VICE PRESIDENT BAZAN
"DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE GREATER AMERICA BUSINESS COALITION, SPECIAL GUESTS, FRIENDS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.  IT IS A PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO ADDRESS SUCH AS DISTINGUISHED AUDIENCE OF AMBASSADORS, BUSINESS LEADERS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS, AND SHARE MY VIEWS REGARDING ONE OF THE MOST DEBATED, AND PERHAPS CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES FOR THE HEMISPHERE: THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF THE AMERICAS.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE DEBATE ON THIS IS PERMANENT AND OPEN BOTH, TO THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR OF THE AMERICAS. AND YET AS I STAND HERE TODAY, I FEEL COMPELLED TO ADDRESS THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11^TH THAT OCCURRED IN NEW YORK CITY AND WASHINGTON DC, EVENTS THAT ARE FRESH IN OUR MEMORIES, WHICH REMIND US OF THE EVIL EFFECTS OF TERRORISM IN ANY WAY OR FORM, BE FOR POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS OR SOCIAL REASONS; WE MUST ALL JOIN TOGETHER TO OPPOSE IT WITH ALL OUR WILL AND DETERMINATION.

IN THINKING ABOUT THE INTEGRATION OF THE HEMISPHERE, THERE IS NO BETTER REMINDER OF WHAT THIS PROCESS OUGHT TO BE, THAN THE UNION OF ALL AMERICAN NATIONS IN SUPPORT OF ONE THAT HAS BEEN ATTACKED. PANAMA AND THE REST OF THE HEMISPHERE WILL FIGHT WITH THE UNITED STATES AGAINST THIS THREAT. PANAMA STANDS READY TO SUPPORT THE UNITED STATES IN THIS FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. AS A COUNTRY WE HAVE TAKEN CONCRETE ACTIONS TO RESTRAIN THE USE OF OUR SHORES, LAND AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURE FOR ANY CRIMINAL TERRORIST RELATED ACTIVITY. SEPTEMBER 11^TH BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE GLOBAL THREAT OF TERRORISM BY SHOWING US HOW VULNERABLE WE ALL ARE . HOWEVER, OUR HEMISPHERE IS STILL A TARGET OF OTHER THREATS WHICH WERE ALREADY PRESENT PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 11^TH, AND WHICH MOST CERTAINLY STILL PERSISTS.

I AM THINKING ABOUT THE THREAT OF HUNGER, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND ILLITERACY. THREATS WHICH, IF NOT ADDRESSED PROMPTLY AND SWIFTLY WILL BE FERTILE GROUND FOR DISCONTENT, HATE, AND INTOLERANCE, ELEMENTS THAT BREED TERRORISM. KEEPING THAT IN MIND, IT SEEMS THAT THE DEBATE ABOUT THE VIABILITY OF INTEGRATING POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY THE NATIONS OF THE HEMISPHERE, IS A RECENT ONE; HOWEVER, MOST PEOPLE FORGET THAT SUCH A DREAM WAS THE VISION OF GREAT AMERICAN LEADERS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, MAINLY THE LIBERATOR SIMON BOLIVAR AND PRESIDENT JAMES MONROE. BOTH, IN THEIR OWN WAY, SAW THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAS, THE HEMISPHERE, AS ONE WHERE ITS COMMUNITY OF NATIONS WOULD SHARE COMMON ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INTERESTS IN RELATION TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. IN THIS PRESENT DAY AND AGE ARGUING FOR, OR AGAINST, THE CREATION OF THE FREE TRADE OF THE AMERICAS – THE FTAA- IS NOTHING MORE THAN THE EVOLUTION OF A HISTORICAL PROCESS WHICH HAS ALREADY GONE THROUGH OTHER IMPORTANT STEPS SUCH AS THE CREATION OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS), A VIABLE POLITICAL FORUM WITHOUT WHICH LATER ACTIONS, SUCH AS THE INITIATIVE OF THE FTAA, OR THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS, WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT, CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, THE EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE OF ESTABLISHING A POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF NATIONS STARTED WITH CHARLES THE GREAT IN 800 A.D., AND NEEDED THE LEADERSHIP OF MANY SINCE THE DAYS OF THE MARSHAL PLAN. THE EUROPEAN UNION, LIKE A POTENTIAL AMERICAS UNION WE MIGHT ENVISION, TOOK YEARS IN THE MAKING. IT WAS NOT UNTIL POLITICAL LEADERS (SCHUMAN, SPAAK, MONNET OR DELORS) CRAFTED THE INSTITUTIONS AS THEY EXISTS TODAY, THAT THIS HISTORICAL POLITICAL OBJECTIVE, CONCEIVED ON THE MIDDLE AGES, BECAME A REALITY.

BUT LET’S GO BACK TO THE FTAA. WHEN WE REFER TO THIS TRADE NEGOTIATION PROCESS WE THINK OF THE UNITED STATES VERSION OF "GLOBALIZATION", THE SYSTEMATIC ELIMINATION OF ALL BARRIERS TO WORLD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE FTAA, AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A LARGER GLOBALIZATION PROCESS, HAS RAISED IMPORTANT CHALLENGES, WHICH SMALL DEVELOPING ECONOMIES LIKE PANAMA, MUST FACE WITH PARTICULAR DETERMINATION AND RESOLVE.

GLOBALIZATION AND THE FTAA PROCESS ARE A FACT OF OUR TIMES, WITH THEIR GOOD AND BAD THINGS. WE MUST SEARCH FOR OUR OWN COMPARATIVE AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES, IF WE ARE TO BENEFIT FROM THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT LARGER, LESS DISTORTED, AND MORE OPEN MARKETS OFFER. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT BOTH, THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR, BUSINESS MEN AND WOMEN, WORKERS, AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS, UNDERSTAND THAT UNLESS WE INCLUDE OUR NATIONS INTO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY, OUR POLICIES AND AGENDAS TO FIGHT POVERTY, ILLITERACY, UNEMPLOYMENT AND OTHER EVILS, WILL BECOME LESS VIABLE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT. SUCH A RISK WOULD BE PARTICULARLY LARGE FOR THE LATIN AMERICAN DEMOCRACIES, AND EVEN A LARGER ONE FOR THOSE SMALLER AND MORE VULNERABLE ECONOMIES IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN. THE FUTURE OF THE FTAA AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION SUGGEST THE NEED TO ADDRESS DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. THE PERSPECTIVE OF ITS ECONOMIC LEADERS, PARTICULARLY THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, BRAZIL, AND MEXICO. BUT ALSO THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE DEVELOPING ECONOMIES SUCH AS CHILE, THE ANDEAN NATIONS AND OTHER MERCOSUR MEMBERS; AND ESPECIALLY THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE DEVELOPING AND LESS DEVELOPED SMALLER ECONOMIES OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.

I HAVE TO APPROACH IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A SMALL ECONOMY SUCH AS PANAMA’S, WHICH IS A FIRM SUPPORTER OF THE FTAA PROCESS, AND IS COMMITTED TO THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE INITIATIVE BY 2005, IF POSSIBLE. AS A SMALL DEVELOPING ECONOMY, IT IS PANAMA’S BELIEF THAT BROAD BETTER MARKET ACCESS THROUGHOUT THE HEMISPHERE IS A LEGITIMATE ASPIRATION. IN ITS EFFORT TO SUPPORT THIS MULTILATERAL HEMISPHERIC PROCESS, PANAMA WILL ALSO WORK WITH OTHER SMALLER ECONOMIES, TO OBTAIN A SPECIAL AND DIFFERENT TREATMENT FROM THE LARGER AND STRONGER ECONOMIES OF THE REGION.

THIS IS A CRUCIAL ELEMENT IN THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS IF WE ARE TO SEE IT SUCCEED. THE PROCESS MUST BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE REALITIES OF ALL PARTICIPATING NATIONS, LARGE, MEDIUM AND SMALL. ATTEMPTING TO IMPOSE A "SYMMETRIC NEGOTIATION" WILL ONLY MAKE THE PROCESS HARDER FOR THE SMALL DEVELOPING ECONOMIES.

AT THIS POINT I WOULD LIKE TO CALL ATTENTION TO A MATTER OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE TO PANAMA: ITS ASPIRATION TO BECOME THE PERMANENT HEADQUARTERS OF THE FUTURE FTAA, ONCE THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE COMPLETED. HAVING THE FTAA HEADQUARTERS AT ONE OF THE SMALLER ECONOMIES WOULD HELP TO LEGITIMIZE THE PROCESS AND SEND THE RIGHT MESSAGE OF THE BALANCE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT SHOULD EXISTS BETWEEN THE LARGE AND SMALL ECONOMIES. THE GOVERNMENT OF PANAMA HAS ACTIVELY PROMOTED ITS ASPIRATIONS THROUGHOUT THE HEMISPHERE, WITH POSITIVE RESULTS SUCH AS THE RECENT FORMAL SUPPORT OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN PARLIAMENT AND OTHERS.

PANAMA’S SMOOTH MANAGEMENT OF THE PRO TEMPORE HEADQUARTERS HAS ENCOURAGED THE NATURAL "GROWTH" OF THE PROCESS, ENSURING ITS EVOLUTION AND PROGRESS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME DEMONSTRATING PANAMA’S CAPACITY TO HOST THE PERMANENT HEADQUARTERS OF THE FTAA.

LOOKING BACK TO THE LARGER PICTURE OF GLOBALIZATION, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OTHER CONCERNS REGARDING THE EXISTING ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES AND ITS IMPACT IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES.

LIKE THE FTAA, SMALL DEVELOPING ECONOMIES AND THE LEAST DEVELOPED AND HIGHLY INDEBTED COUNTRIES MUST CONFRONT A DOUBLE CHALLENGE: IMPROVE THEIR CAPACITY TO RESPONSIBLY MANAGE LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND IMPLEMENT RULES OF GLOBALIZATION, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME STRENGTHENING THEIR DEMOCRATIC SYSTEMS.

UNLESS GOVERNMENTS ARE ABLE TO IMPROVE CURRENT CONDITIONS, SOCIETIES WILL QUESTION THE LEGITIMACY OF THOSE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS WHICH HAVE NOT REALLY RESPONDED TO THEIR ULTIMATE ASPIRATIONS OF A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. SHOULD IMPROVEMENTS NOT HAPPEN, SEVERAL YEARS OF PROGRESS IN THE DEMOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE MIGHT BE TRAGICALLY REVERSED.

ECONOMIC VIABILITY IS A KEY ELEMENT IN THE INTEGRATION OF THE AMERICAS. THEREFORE, WE LOOK WITH CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM RECENT STATEMENTS BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE ALAN GREENSPAN, THAT THE U.S. ECONOMIC RECESSION SEEMS TO HAVE "BOTTOMED OUT".

THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR THE AMERICAS AS WE RECOGNIZE THE UNITED STATES AS THE MAIN ECONOMIC ENGINE AS WELL AS OUR MAIN TRADING PARTNER. NONETHELESS, THERE ARE PERSISTENT NEGATIVE ECONOMIC SIGNALS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS HEMISPHERE, WHICH PLACE FREE MARKET PRINCIPLES OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY TO A TEST. SUCH IS THE CASE OF ARGENTINA WHO HAS AND STILL FACES DIFFICULT TIMES AS IT ATTEMPTS TO REORGANIZE ITS MACROECONOMIC STRUCTURE AFTER THE EVIDENT COLLAPSE OF ITS FINANCIAL SYSTEM. THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD PROVIDE THE MONETARY ASSISTANCE ARGENTINA REQUIRES, FOR THE SAKE OF NOT ONLY SAVING AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM THAT REFLECTS THE PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMIC HEMISPHERIC INTEGRATION, BUT ALSO AVOID THE EXPERIENCES OF THE PAST. TODAY, AS DEMOCRACY FLOURISHES IN THE AMERICAS, WE TAKE FOR GRANTED THIS NEWFOUND FREEDOM, WITHOUT THINKING THAT DEMOCRACY, SUPPORTED BY ECONOMIC FREEDOM, NEEDS TO BE NURTURED EVERY SINGLE DAY.

IT ALSO BRINGS TO MIND THE NEED TO ADDRESS ISSUES SUCH AS THE RENEGOTIATION OF EXTERNAL DEBT WHICH NOT ONLY ACTS AS A DETERRENT TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SOUND ECONOMIC POLICIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO PRESENTS A THREAT TO INCIPIENT AND WEAK DEMOCRACIES. THERE IS A NEED FOR A MORE COMPREHENSIVE ENGAGEMENT ON THE PART OF THE MULTILATERAL

FINANCING ORGANIZATIONS AND IN THIS REGARD, INTERNATIONAL FORUMS SUCH AS THE UPCOMING UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT, TO BE HELD IN MONTERREY, MEXICO, IS A POSITIVE STEP.

HOWEVER, IT HAS TO BE RECOGNIZED THAT THE INFLUENCE OF THE G-7 IN THE ECONOMIC POLICIES OF THE WORLD NEEDS TO BE SENSITIZED TO THE NEEDS AND REALITIES OF THE DEVELOPING NATIONS. I HAVE PROPOSED IN OTHER FORUMS AND WOULD LIKE TO STRESS TODAY THAT LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN NEED TO UNITE IN A COMMON FRONT TO ACHIEVE REPRESENTATION AS A GROUP, IN THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE G-7, IF A FRUITFUL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS IS TO TAKE PLACE. IN THIS REGARD, WE WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THE G-7 EXTENDED TO THE PRESIDENT OF EL SALVADOR FRANCISCO FLORES TO EXCHANGE VIEWS, WHICH IS A REFLECTION OF THE NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT. MORE OF THIS IS NEEDED, UNTIL THERE IS PERMANENT PRESENCE OF THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES IN THIS DIALOGUE.

THESE IDEAS ARE NOT EASY TO IMPLEMENT. THEY REQUIRE A PROFOUND REASSESSMENT OF RELATIONS AND AN ACCEPTANCE OF THE NEED FOR NEW AND BOLD IDEAS. WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE THE ASPIRATIONS AND NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE ARE FELT EVERY DAY, AND ANSWERS MUST BE PROVIDED IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF FREEDOM AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.

BECAUSE OF THIS, WE NEED TO FIND FORMULAS TO INSURE GROWTH. GROWTH IN OUR ABILITY TO PRODUCE; GROWTH IN OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER; GROWTH IN OUR ABILITY TO FIND ANSWERS TO CHALLENGES; GROWTH IN OUR ABILITY TO GENERATE JOBS AND BETTER WAGES; GROWTH SHOULD BE A PERMANENT OBJECTIVE IN OUR EFFORTS FOR ECONOMIC AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

I AM ALSO CONVINCED THAT FROM THE PROMOTION OF TRANSPARENCY, IN GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, IN THE STABILITY AND PROTECTION OF BASIC ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, WE WILL STRENGTHEN OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM AND PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY THAT WILL RESULT IN A BETTER LIFE FOR OUR PEOPLE. FOR SOME IT IS DIFFICULT TO GRASP THE NOTION OF AN "INTEGRATED HEMISPHERE". IT IS TRUE THAT THE AMERICAS HAVE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, HISTORICAL, AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES WHICH REMIND US OF HOW DIFFICULT THE GOAL OF INTEGRATION CAN BE. NONETHELESS, ALL OF US SHARE A HEMISPHERE WHICH IS BY THE DAY BECOMING CLOSER.

THAT IS THE REALITY WE LIVE TODAY AND THAT IS THE REALITY THAT INSPIRE US TO FIND WAYS TO ADVANCE THIS VISION WHICH I ADMIT, IS A LITTLE MORE THAN A DREAM. AN IDEA THAT SIMON BOLIVAR AND JAMES MONROE WERE BOLD ENOUGH TO DREAM ABOUT ALMOST TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO. IT IS ACCEPTABLE FOR US TO DREAM; AND DREAMS CAN COME TRUE.

THANK YOU.