Yes, I'm trying. It's just that there are a lot of questions, and I would like to address them, if I may.
Panama has been very consistent with Canada in actually engaging fully in cooperation. The strength or the robustness of any sort of cooperation can be perfectly dealt with in a non-double taxation agreement. Panama will not sign tax information exchange agreements because they do not serve the interests of the Panamanian economy. The non-double taxation agreements--again, I insist on this--following OECD standards and following OECD suggestions, are what Panama believes serve its economic interests as a sovereign nation. We believe they are very valid, very efficient instruments when it comes to assuring the exchange of information.
Now, as to the automaticity of this exchange of information, Mr. Julian, let me tell you that the automatic exchange of information is something that actually has not even been demanded specifically when you talk about the OECD discussions and the OECD global forum on taxation. What the forum is demanding from participants--OECD members and non-OECD members--is that they have a robust structure for assuring that when it is applicable, there are sufficient channels and there is sufficient legislation and information to address the requests that any party might need in pursuing the application of their tax legislation.
I don't understand why there is this insistence on talking about the TIEA with the United States not being robust, because there is not a specific element. In reality, when you look at many, many dozens of TIEAs around the world, the automatic exchange of information is actually not necessarily an element of any of these agreements.
To conclude, in the case of Canada, my government has reassured Minister Van Loan and your tax authorities that Panama is ready to engage in the negotiation of the non-double taxation agreement, with all the provisions for the exchange of information, immediately. That's the offer that was posted in July 2009, and that's the one that remains to date.