Costa Rica and Canada aim to 'modernize' trade agreement. Expansion of services needed, says Harper

\ Costa Rica and Canada will soon begin negotiations to ''modernize'' their free trade agreement, Canada's prime minister, Stephen Harper, has said while visiting the San José.\ \ ''I'm happy to announce that negotiations will begin this fall, in order to expand and modernize this agreement between now and next year,'' Harper said after meeting with Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla.\ \ The free trade agreement has made Costa Rica a major Canadian trade partner in Central America, but Harper said it does not extend to services 'and no longer corresponds to the current spirit of cooperation on labor and environment.'\ \ Original source: AFP\ \ \ \ \