Obama Arrives in Colombia for Summit of the Americas

 　　President Barack Obama has arrived in Cartagena, Colombia for the sixth Summit of the Americas. The president will emphasize the importance of expanding economic and other ties across the region, and underscore Colombia's progress.

　　A welcome dinner hosted by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos marked the official start of this summit that brings together 33 leaders from the United States and Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America.

　　On Saturday, Obama, Santos and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff attend a CEO summit with business leaders before the actual summit, which has the theme, "Connecting the Americas: Partners for Prosperity."

　　On his way to Cartagena, Obama stopped in the port of Tampa, Florida, from where an increasing percentage of U.S. exports flow to major trading partners such as Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

　　Obama has set a goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015. He wants to expand trade and investment opportunities for small and large businesses in the U.S. and throughout the Americas to help boost job creation.

　　The president used the Tampa appearance to highlight the importance of regional trade before he sits down with leaders at the summit.

　　"We now export more to the Western Hemisphere than to any other region in the world. And those exports support nearly 4 million U.S. jobs," said Obama.

　　High-profile entourage

　　Officials here with the president include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and Labor¹ Secretary Hilda Solis.

　　The summit is also an opportunity for Santos to showcase his country's progress after years of conflict with narco-traffickers and FARC guerrillas. Colombia received billions of dollars in U.S. military and other assistance.

　　In remarks in Washington this past week, Clinton spoke² about the strength of the relationship.

　　"If we look back at the work we have done through the last years to support Colombia, it is quite remarkable³ where Colombia stands today," she said.

　　Free Trade Agreement in spotlight⁴

　　News reports have said Obama may use his visit to announce that Colombia has met labor rights conditions required for final implementation⁵ of the U.S. - Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

　　The White House has not confirmed this. Dan Restrepo, the top Western Hemisphere official on the National Security Council, said the two sides are working toward that goal.

　　"Our continued commitment to labor rights in Colombia will certainly be part of the president's agenda with President Santos," said Restrepo.

　　Recently, leaders of the AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. trade union confederation, wrote to Obama saying it would be premature⁶ to declare the Labor Action Plan a success due to ongoing⁷ labor rights issues in Colombia.

　　Media here are highlighting the fact that Obama is the first U.S. president to stay overnight in Colombia.

　　White House officials say the president recognizes the symbolism of his two-night stay, not just for bilateral⁸ relations but for a significant Colombian-American population back home.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

5 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

6 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

8 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。