Lima, May 17, 2005.- The forthcoming Andean Summit to be held in Peru within the next few months should be a response to the challenges raised by a complex international scenario, in order to strengthen integration and give a greater measure of cohesion to the process launched by five countries 36 years ago, pointed out Andean Community Secretary General, Allan Wagner Tizón, during his address opening the Formal Session commemorating the XXXVI Anniversary of the Signing of the Cartagena Agreement.

He explained that it will be necessary for the CAN “to arrive at more precise forms of action in order to fortify democratic governance in our countries” and “innovative financial and institutional mechanisms to construct structural policies that will promote territorial development and social cohesion,” so that the huge differences that exist in the subregion can be overcome.

The Secretary General mentioned that the FTA that 3 Andean countries are preparing to conclude with the United States offers an opportunity to adapt and renew Community legislation and norms in such a way that they can deepen our integration while facilitating the harmonization of the commitments acquired. He went on to refer to the joint evaluation process being conducted with the European Union as a "an agglutinating element for Andean integration" that will enable us to reach our target of starting bloc negotiations next year to sign a strategic association agreement that will also include an FTA.

In closing, he reiterated that the South American Community is a great decentralized project that will require the presence of a strong and cohesive Andean Community capable of acting consensually with MERCOSUR and Chile to gradually arrive at the agreed degree of convergence.

During his address, the CAN Secretary General pointed out that fortunately, in addition to the dissociative trends that are operating in the region, which must be confronted with a “new social pact centering on the creation of quality employment and the affirmation of a culture of dialogue and concerted democratic action,” there are cohesive factors around which the determined political will of the member countries must coalesce.

He mentioned among those factors the new strategic design for the integration process that has received the backing of the Member Countries; the deepening of trade integration being expedited under a medium- and short-term working program; the competitiveness and inclusion being promoted with the cooperation of small and medium urban and rural enterprises and the Andean strategy of territorial development and competitiveness on which work has started with the involvement of the new actors in the process; and the advances made toward building the South American Community of Nations and the association with the European Union that is expected to materialize this coming May.

He also drew special attention to the social agenda which, he felt, deserved our renewed efforts because while the phenomena of poverty, exclusion and inequality belong to the sphere of national policy, “integration is called upon to serve as the meeting ground where public and social actors can come together to build a regional vision of development centering on systemic competitiveness and social cohesion.”

"The XVI Andean Summit will have to adopt decisions that will be vitally important for reinforcing and giving a greater measure of cohesion to our integration project,” he stressed and expressed his expectation that President Toledo, as Chairman of the Andean Presidential Council, will lead our Community toward resolving these major challenges at the forthcoming Summit.”