Declaration of the
Andean Presidential Council with the
President of Panama
The Presidents of Bolivia, Colombia,
Ecuador, and Venezuela and the Personal
Representative of the President of Peru,
gathered at the XI Meeting of the Andean
Presidential Council, and the President of
Panama, in his capacity of observer to that
Council,
CONSIDERING:
The commitment adopted at
the IX Andean Presidential Council to
advance negotiations aimed at achieving a
Free-Trade Agreement that will strengthen
relations between the Andean Community and
Panama;
Panama's participation in
Andean Community political bodies and the
desirability of enlarging this contribution
in order to be able to exercise continuing
consultation and coordination on an agenda
of regional and international issues of
common interest.
AGREE:
-
To reaffirm the common
will to negotiate the terms of Panama's
accession to the Andean Community as soon
as the Customs Cooperation and Free-Trade
Agreements have been signed.
-
To urge the Trade
Ministers of both parties to accelerate
the negotiation of the Convention on
Cooperation, Facilitation and Mutual
Assistance on Customs Matters and of the
Free-Trade Treaty between Panama and the
Andean Community.
-
To call upon the
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Andean
Community Member Countries and Panama to
meet periodically to coordinate positions
on the strengthening of democracy;
cooperation in fighting drugs, corruption
and illegal arms trafficking; security and
confidence-building; and sustainable
development
Cartagena de Indias, May
27, 1999
Hugo Banzer Suárez
President of the Republic of Bolivia
Andrés Pastrana Arango
President of the Republic of Colombia
Jamil Mahuad Witt
President of the Republic of Ecuador
Víctor Joy Way
Personal Representative of the President of
Peru
Hugo Chávez Frías
President of the Republic of Venezuela
Ernesto Pérez Balladares
President of the Republic of Panama
