THE ANDEAN COUNCIL OF FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING IN ENLARGED SESSION WITH THE TITULAR REPRESENTATIVES TO THE ANDEAN COMMUNITY COMMISSION,

HAVING SEEN: Articles 1, 3, 16, 17, 20, 22, 51, 52, 136 and 137 of the Cartagena Agreement, codified through Decision 563, the request for acceptance as Associate Members of the Andean Community presented by the Republic of Argentina, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Paraguay and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, States Parties of MERCOSUR, and Proposal 01-2005 of the Andean Community Commission;

WHEREAS: One of the objectives of the Cartagtena Agreement is to facilitate the participation of the Member Countries in the regional integration process, with a view to the gradual formation of a Latin American common market;

The Treaty of Asuncion represents a significant step forward in the effort to progressively advance Latin American integration;

In the framework of the Third Meeting of South American Presidents, the Heads of State took the decision to form the South American Community of Nations through integration and the cooperation of the nations in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres;

The convergence of the Andean Communities and the MERCOSUR States Parties and Chile will make it possible to progressively form the South American Community of Nations;

Both the Cartagena Agreement and the Treaty of Asuncion stipulate that only those countries that have not only expressed their interest, but have also signed a free trade agreement with the countries parties to the respective constitutive instrument, may be accepted as associate members;

The Republic of Bolivia, in reliance on the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo and Resolution 2 of the ALADI Council of Ministers, signed Economic Complementarity Agreement AAP. CE 36 for the formation of a free trade area with the MERCOSUR States Parties;

The Republic of Peru, in reliance on the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo and Resolution 2 of the ALADI Council of Ministers, signed Economic Complementarity Agreement AAP. CE 58 for the formation of a free trade area with the MERCOSUR States Parties;

The Republic of Colombia, the Republic of Ecuador and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in reliance on the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo and Resolution 2 of the ALADI Council of Ministers, signed Economic Complementarity Agreement AAP. CE 59 for the formation of a free trade area with the MERCOSUR States Parties;

Pursuant to the above-cited agreements, MERCOSUR has conferred the status of Associate Members on the Andean Community Member Countries;

The Republic of Argentina, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Paraguay and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay have expressed their desire to become Associate Members of the Andean Community;

The Andean Community Commission, having heard the opinion of the General Secretariat, presented Proposal 01-2005 for consideration by the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in enlarged session; 

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To grant the status of Associate Members to the Republic of Argentina, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Paraguay and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, MERCOSUR States Parties.

Article 2.- Associate Members may be invited to participate in meetings of Andean Integration System organs and institutions, either at the initiative of the organ or institution itself or in response to a request by the Associate Member, in order to address issues of common interest.

In all cases, the participation of Associate Members in meetings of Andean Integration System organs or institutions, together with the agenda of topics to be addressed, must first be approved by the Member Countries through the pertinent organ.

If the Associate Members are to participate in meetings of Andean Integration System organs or institutions, those meetings shall be conducted through two sessions, the first to be held among Member Countries of the Andean Community only.

Article 3.- Associate Members shall accede to the Additional Protocol to the Cartagena Agreement “Andean Community Commitment to Democracy” and to the Andean Charter for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

Article 4.- The Associate Members to which this Decision refers and the other Member Countries of the Andean Community shall apply and administer, in their reciprocal relations, the rules stipulated in Economic Complementarity Agreements ACE 36, ACE 58 or ACE 59, signed in reliance to the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo and Resolution 2 of the ALADI Council of Ministers, as applicable.

With a view to deepening the convergence of the Andean Community and MERCOSUR for the purpose of building the South American Community of Nations, the Associate Members and the Member Countries shall seek to hold joint meetings of the Administrative Committees of the Economic Complementarity Agreements to which this article refers.

Signed in the city of Lima, Peru, on the seventh of July of two thousand five.