Central
America
It
is the intention of the Andean Community to
deepen and consolidate its relations with
the Central American Integration System (SICA),
consisting of Belize, Costa Rica, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and
Panama, in order to move toward Latin
American integration through the
coordination and convergence of the
subregional blocs.
To
this end, it is working to bring about the
signing of a CAN-SICA Political Dialogue and
Cooperation Agreement and the resumption of
the negotiation of a biregional Free Trade
Agreement. At the same time, viable
alternatives are being evaluated to dovetail
the Puebla-Panama Plan and the South
American Regional Infrastructure Integration
Initiative (IIRSA).
It
should be added here that the Foreign
Ministers of the two blocs have agreed to
meet annually during the regular sessions of
the United Nations General Assembly.
In
addition, the General Secretariats of the
Andean Community and SICA signed a Framework
Cooperation Agreement in November 2004,
committing themselves to cooperate, within
their spheres of competence and of their
respective programs of activities, on
matters of common interest.
The
two General Secretariats have agreed to work
closely together on the design and execution
of joint projects, organization of forums
and seminars, and exchange of experts in the
deepening of integration, international
trade negotiations, physical integration and
infrastructure, investment promotion,
competitiveness, political cooperation,
exchange of statistical data, tourism, and
SME development, among other areas.
Caribbean
One
of the Andean Community objectives is to
establish closer relations with the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a fifteen-country
integration bloc, in light of the need to
coordinate the subregional blocs’ external
presence on the dynamic international scene
and particularly in forums where the two
participate, like the OAS and GRULAC and the
meetings of the European Union, Latin
America, and the Caribbean.
Mexico
The
Heads of State of the Member Countries
agreed during the Fifteenth Council of
Andean Presidents to establish a mechanism
for dialogue and political coordination with
Mexico and to bring the pending free trade
negotiations to an end in order to invite
that country to become an Associate Member
of the Andean Community.
It
should be noted here that Mexico has been
participating since 2004 as an observer in
meetings of the Andean Council of Presidents.
Panama
Panama has been an observer at meetings of
the Andean Council of Presidents since 1996
and, in order to strengthen their ties, the
Andean Community and that country have held
consultations and exchanged information
within that context.
