CHINA

The Andean Community and the People’s Republic of China signed an "Agreement for the establishment of a political consultation and cooperation mechanism" in March 2000, in order to strengthen their cooperation and trade, business and technological exchanges and their dialogue on international multilateral matters.   

The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinate the mechanism, in keeping with the cited Agreement.  

A seminar on “Opportunities for Business between the Andean Community and the People’s Republic of China”, held in May 2002 at the headquarters of the CAN General Secretariat, made it possible to strengthen links with that country’s private sector, as well.  

The Heads of State of the CAN Member Countries, for their part, at their Thirteenth Meeting, in June 2001, expressed their intention to spur the launching of the mechanism for political dialogue and cooperation with the People’s Republic of China and instructed the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers to make the necessary arrangements for that purpose.   

The  First Ministerial Meeting within the framework of that Mechanism was held in Bogotá in October 2002. It was agreed at that time to step up the political dialogue at different levels and to promote exchanges in order to build up mutual understanding and trust.  The Government of the People’s Republic of China announced cooperation programs with the Andean Community.

The Parties agreed to hold consultations at the Vice-Ministerial level every two years, irrespective of any consultations that could be conducted at other levels, including that of the Foreign Ministers, whenever deemed necessary.  

The Second Consultation Meeting --the first one at the Vice-Ministerial level-- was held in Beijing in September 2004, to exchange views on international and regional issues of common interest and to study the advances being made with the cooperation initiatives under way.  

It should be stressed that the Parties agreed to jointly confront the new challenges raised by globalization, the most important being to overcome poverty and to achieve comprehensive development that is sustainable in the long term.  

To this same effect, they also agreed to reinforce their cooperation in order to fight the worldwide drug problem, asset laundering and organized transnational crime;  encourage coordination within the WTO in defending the legitimate interests of the developing countries; and create favorable conditions for the establishment of an enhanced cooperation mechanism between China and Latin America as a whole.  

In addition, the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and the Vice-President of the People’s Republic of China, meeting in Lima on January 27, 2005, agreed to build on the results achieved within the framework of the Political Consultation and Cooperation Mechanism, by executing specific projects to expand trade, promote investment, develop energy sources, develop technology, protect the environment and fight drug trafficking, among other things.  

INDIA

In June 2003, the Andean Community and the Republic of India established a Political Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism for the purpose of strengthening and diversifying their friendship, understanding and cooperation and developing mutual trade and investment relations and cultural and scientific exchanges.

The objectives of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism are, among others, to:

· Deepen the Parties’ knowledge of each other;

· Conduct the political dialogue and cooperation in areas of mutual interest;

· Expand and diversify trade and investment and study mechanisms to facilitate the Parties’ access to each other’s markets; 

· Promote scientific, technical and technological cooperation; and

· Foster cultural and tourist exchanges.

The Andean Community, aware of the dynamic role India is called upon to play on the world scene, would like to reinforce the subregion’s projection toward that country by starting up the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism, together with other instruments that could be developed within the framework of its Common Foreign Policy.  

JAPAN

The Andean Community Member Countries and Japan held a Consultation Meeting in Bogotá, in December 2002, to exchange views on the status of their political and economic relations, including trade and investment, and to arrange for periodic meetings to reinforce their cooperation. 

It is important to draw attention, in this connection, to the cooperation provided in areas like natural disaster prevention and relief, and to Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela’s joint participation, through the Andean Amazon Pavilion,  in Expo Aichi 2005.

 

APEC - ASEAN

In implementing its Common Foreign Policy, which subscribes to a principle of open regionalism, the Andean Community has stepped up its contacts with the General Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC).

The CAN, aware of the potential and the good prospects offered by cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region, has given a major boost to its relations with those two organizations since 1999.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, which today has a membership of 21 countries, intends to form a free and open market in the region, for industrialized economies in 2010 and for developing countries in 2020.  

The Asia-Pacific countries have a market that covers over one-third of the world’s population, produces 60% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product and accounts for 47% of the global trade.  Having generated almost 70% of global economic growth in its first 10 years of existence, it is the world’s most economically active region.  Furthermore, its membership includes the largest economies of the planet, among them important trading partners of the Andean Community, like the United States, and potential partners that are enormous, like China. 

Peru is the only country in the Andean Community that belongs to the Forum, although Colombia and Ecuador are currently negotiating their entry.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional cooperation group made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, whose purpose is to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance among its members.

In its effort to participate more fully in the world economy and to reinforce its global political, economic, trade and social relations, the Andean Community’s projection toward the Asia-Pacific region will open up new opportunities for trade, investment and cooperation.