Minutes of the First Meeting of  the “CAN-Chile Joint Commission”

The CAN-Chile Joint Commission met in Cochabamba on December 8, 2006, with the intention of moving toward further integration with the Latin American countries, while bearing in mind the Andean Community’s general policy of strengthening the participation of the Associate Member Countries, as provided for in the Cartagena Agreement.  

On this occasion, the Commission was made up of the Titular Representatives of the Member Countries to the Andean Community Council of Foreign Ministers and the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Republic of Chile. 

The Commission noted with satisfaction the beginning of Chile’s participation as an Associate Member of the Andean Community and placed the following agreements on record in these Minutes:

1. To establish a high-level Ad-hoc Technical Working Group composed of Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile and Representatives of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and of the Andean Community Commission, according to the matters to be taken up.  The Group will enjoy the technical support of the Andean Community General Secretariat and will start working within ninety (90) calendar days after the signing of these Minutes.   

2. The Working Group, whose conclusions will be submitted to the CAN-Chile Joint Commission for consideration, will address, among other matters, the study and analysis of the various issues proposed by the Parties, including the following: 

a) Inclusive human and social development

Undertake the analysis of instruments to support the less endowed social sectors.  Examine and exchange experiences with successful programs and mechanisms used in the Andean countries and in Chile, among other countries, with regard to social protection, social programs for vulnerable families and programs to promote micro-undertakings, among other issues. 

b) Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)

Exchange experiences in promoting or supporting Andean and Chilean MSMEs, with emphasis on programs and instruments to facilitate their internationalization, thus creating self-sustaining enterprises. 

c) Educational promotion

Exchange experiences and develop instruments to promote educational quality by drawing primarily on the provisions of the Andrés Bello Convention, to which the CAN Member Countries and Chile are parties. 

d) Health

Continue the joint efforts to improve health conditions and better the quality of life of the inhabitants of the Andean region within the framework of the priorities of the Andean Health Body, the Hipólito Unanue Convention.   Likewise, exchange experiences that could contribute to the development of national health systems in spheres to be duly identified.  Also, learn further from Andean experiences in applying an intercultural approach to health. 

e) Energy

Examine, within the framework of South American energy integration efforts, possibilities for boosting the complementarity of the different energy sources in the region and the terms under which this could be accomplished. 

f) Promoting cooperation for trade and investment

Strengthen cooperation in trade and investment matters, with special emphasis on the economic, scientific and technological areas, with a view to incentivating the competitiveness and innovation of the Country Parties by building strategic alliances between the public and private sectors. 

g) Coordination vis-à-vis the Asia-Pacific region

Explore possible areas for joint or coordinated development of trade, investment, research and education, taking advantage of the experience and opportunities offered by the dynamic Asian, Australian and New Zealand economies. 

h) Exchanges to deepen CAN relations with the European Union

Share experiences regarding the Parties’ relations with the European Union. 

i) Boosting development-oriented science and technology

Encourage and support economic, research, and science and technology cooperation projects that will help reach the Millennium Development Goals, on the basis of strengthened links among research and science and technology centers in the States Parties.  In this context, examine mechanisms for stimulating business culture and spirit among young researchers and fostering their coordination with the production sector. 

j) Connectivity

Support the CAN’s integrationist connectivity initiatives in the spheres of infrastructure, transportation and information technologies, in keeping with initiatives that are underway in South America. 

In witness whereof, we sign these Minutes in the city of Cochabamba on the ninth of December of two thousand six.

For the Republic of Chile

Alejandro Foxley Rioseco
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Chile

For the Andean Community 

David Choquehuanca Céspedes
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Bolivia

María Consuelo Araújo Castro
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Colombia

Diego Ribadeneira Espinosa
Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Ecuador