Promoting free trade internationally (Frank Owarish, Ph.D)

 I am privileged to have had the opportunity to work with some of the ‘giants’ of this earth to promote free trade in the world. It is a fact that the developing countries need help in this context; first the GATT and now the WTO provides a framework to work out arrangements as needed; much has been accomplished and much more need to be done and there is important work in progress. The ‘giants’ I worked with are Ray Otani and Walter Szykitka in particular and at times Walter Diamond.

This promotional work was done through the Association of World Free Trade Zones and was informational and educational in nature. There were also consultancy assignments. I remember in particular Ray Otani, Walter Szykitka and myself working with the top officials of MITI (Japan) on the question of free trade and improving trade relations between Japan and the US at a crucial point in time. Japan agreed to open up its economy perceived at the time as being relatively closed. Foreign access zones were created and from then on trade relations between Japan and the US and Japan and the European Union improved significantly. The three of us also met with top LDP officials and has constructive conversations on the above mentioned questions