Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit issued the following statement Wednesday after an accord was reached on the Colombia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement:
"I commend President Obama and President Santos on the tremendous leadership they've shown in reaching a final agreement on the Colombia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA). America's financial, manufacturing, services, and farming sectors would benefit greatly from a FTA with Colombia. Expanding trade and investment flows is a key driver of economic growth, and the FTA between our two countries will help to create much-needed jobs as America continues on the road to economic recovery.
"Colombia is an important growth market for our clients. Citi has recently expanded its business in Colombia and added new branches throughout the country, making it our third largest franchise in Latin America. As Co-chair of the U.S.-Latin America FTA Business Coalition, we look forward to the ratification and implementation of this important accord."