Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Welcome to our witnesses.
Your excellency, it's a pleasure to have you at committee.
I have a couple of points of clarification, perhaps.
The World Bank statistics on the ease of doing business, based on how difficult the regulatory environment is for entrepreneurs to actually invest in a country, show that Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico are very close to one another, with Chile having the best environment and the greatest ease of doing business. Canada is almost 20 points ahead of Chile on the ease of doing business, so obviously, if we join the Pacific Alliance there should be some improvement in the ease of doing business.
Your comment earlier was about the potential for greater investments, not simply in the mining sector, but in other sectors in the Pacific Alliance countries as well. I think that point needs to be made.
But the other point that needs to be made is that this is a huge economy when it's all put together. Although it's an economy that we have bilateral trading relationships with, to work in a more multilateral forum.... Statistically, it's the ninth largest economy in the world, which is significant. So the potential for Canada, quite frankly, should be great, and the potential for the original four founding countries, and others who may join, should be as great.
This is my first question for you. Chile has a history as a long-term and long-time trading partner with Canada. You've signed more free trade agreements with countries around the world than almost any other nation on the planet. You've seen Chile's investment move radically, I would say, over the last two decades for certain, in the last decade in particular. How do you see the advantage here, not just for Chile in particular, but for Chile, your three partners in the Pacific Alliance, and Canada, hopefully, when we join?
What do you see as the immediate advantage for your own country, and for Canada as well? Do you think—because I have to ask this question—that you can reach the March 31, 2013 self-imposed deadline?