Lima, August 2, 2006.- The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers, meeting in an enlarged session with the CAN Commission (Ministers of Trade), accepted the resignation of Ambassador Allan Wagner as Secretary General of the Andean Community on July 28 and stipulated that that position will be temporarily filled by Dr. Alfredo Fuentes Hernández until a new Secretary General is appointed.   

In a meeting held today in the form of a videoconference, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Trade of the CAN Member Countries approved a Decision officializing the two measures, in compliance with the pertinent provisions of the Agreement of Cartagena and the Regulations of the CAN General Secretariat.   

In both the cited Community Decision and in laudatory statements made during the meeting, the Ministers expressed their “deep appreciation” to Ambassador Allan Wagner Tizón “for his excellent work, which has taken the integration process in new directions.”  Ambassador Wagner is known to have submitted his resignation this past July 27 to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Trade in order to assume the position of Minister of Defense of his country.    

They also specified in the Decision that “the longest serving Director General,” who in this case is the current Director General for Legal Affairs, Colombian national Dr. Alfredo Fuentes Hernández, “will temporarily head the General Secretariat.”

The Ministers congratulated Dr. Fuentes and wished him the best in his new position and the new acting Secretary General assured them of his willingness to collaborate in the rapid appointment of the new Secretary General.   

Dr. Alfredo Fuentes is a lawyer and economist, holding a Doctorate in Law from the University of the Andes, a Master of Laws degree from Harvard University and a Master of Arts in Economics from Boston University.  He has served in the area of trade and integration as Head of INTAL’s Economic Sector, Head of the Economic Policy Department of the Board of the Cartagena Agreement, and Advisor to the Superior Foreign Trade Council of Colombia.  He has been a University Professor since 1975 and has served as Senior Researcher of the Foundation for Higher Education and Development of Colombia.  He has also authored numerous publications about trade, integration and legal systems in the Hemisphere.