Bolivian President Evo Morales expects economic issues to dominate a weekend meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the first high-level talks between the leftist premier and Washington.
Mr Morales, who once described his movement as a "nightmare for the US", announced the meeting at a news conference in which he reiterated sharp criticism of the United States after a string of spats in recent weeks.
"I have asked that the meeting deal fundamentally with economic matters," Mr Morales told reporters, saying it would take place this weekend in Chile, where both he and Ms Rice are due to attend Michelle Bachelet's inauguration as Chilean president.
Mr Morales added that the agenda included preferential trade tariffs and global poverty-eradication goals. Bolivia is South America's poorest nation, and the United States is its top aid donor.
Along with fellow Andean countries, Bolivia receives preferential trade tariffs from the United States provided it co-operates in the war on drug-trafficking. But that deal expires at the end of the year, and Bolivia has not taken part in free-trade talks with Washington.
Mr Morales's power base comes from his time as leader of Bolivia's coca growers. The United States is concerned he will allow coca cultivation to increase in Bolivia, the world's third-biggest cocaine producer after Colombia and Peru.
Washington has also been wary of his friendships with fellow leftists in the region, Fidel Castro of Cuba and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
