Lima, August 18, 2004. The General Secretary of the Andean Community, the General Secretary of the Andean Community, Allan Wagner Tizón, said that he “considered Bolivia´s immediate and full incorporation into the negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between the Andean Community and the United States as fundamental.”

Wagner supported any initiative adopted by the Bolivian Government in this direction. For this reason, he said: “We support the decision made by the Bolivian Government in this matter given that the crucial rounds of the negotiation process are about to begin, and up to now Bolivia has participated only as an observer.”

The incorporation of Bolivia is not only in the country´s interest, but also in the best interest of the Andean Community as a whole, said the General Secretary of CAN. Using examples, he referred to the fact that determinations are being made in the last rounds of negotiations and that Bolivia´s presence would strengthen Andean negotiating capacity.

He added that the decisions taken in the Andean Presidential Council last July ensure the compatibility of these negotiations with the Andean integration process.

“The General Secretary is ready to respond to the Bolivian requests for technical assistance in the framework of the Support Framework for Trade Negotiations,” he concluded.