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<DIV><SPAN class=date>Sunday, 22 April, 2001, 19:04 GMT 20:04 UK </SPAN>
<DIV class=headlinestory><B>Americas sign free trade deal</B><BR></DIV><FONT
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<DIV class=inlineimage><IMG height=180
alt="President Bush shares a laugh with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos"
src="http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1290000/images/_1290561_bush_afp300.jpg"
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<DIV class=caption><SMALL>President Bush said democracies would take
root</SMALL><BR></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=bodytext>Leaders of the Americas have signed an agreement to open
their markets by December 2005, and said only countries with democratic
governments can join the ambitious free-trade zone.
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