Lima, November 14 2003. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru, Allan Wagner Tizón, was unanimously elected today, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Secretary General of the Andean Community for a term of five years.

The election of the highest authority of the regional integration executive body took place within the framework of the extended meeting held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra between the Andean Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers and the Andean Community Commission, on the occasion of the Latin American Summit of Heads of State and Prime Ministers.

Allan Wagner will take up office as from January 2004, in replacement of Guillermo Fernández de Soto, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, who resigned in order to assume an important diplomatic responsibility with the Colombian Government.

The elected Secretary General is presently holding the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru since July 2002 and, as such, is a Regular Member of the Andean Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers. His commitment to the integration process has contributed to his recognition as “integration leader” and “the most suitable for the position of Secretary General of CAN”, as was highlighted by Fernández de Soto.

Foreign Affairs Minister Allan Wagner has held in the past the positions of Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the Andean Community, Peruvian Ambassador in the United States, Spain and Venezuela, among others. In addition, he held the positions of Director of Development, Special Advisor and Permanent Observer of the Latin American Economic System (SELA).