Lima, October 20, 2004. Andean Community Secretary General, Allan Wagner, announced the implementation of Program "CAN-APEC 2008", meant to strengthen the presence of Andean countries in the Asia - Pacific Basin.

He made the announcement following a meeting he held today at the CAN General Secretariat’s headquarters, with the Executive Director of the Asia - Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), Ambassador Mario Artaza, who is on official visit to Peru.

Ambassador Artaza expressed his interest in developing a closer relationship with Peru and the CAN countries, and he underscored the APEC potential, indicating that it "represents nearly 60% of the world’s trade, it includes 2.5 billion people and it is the region with the most dynamic growth".

APEC is a cooperation mechanism comprised of 21 "member economies", which include Mexico, Chile and Peru. Out of the other four Andean countries, Colombia and Ecuador have expressed their interest in joining the forum and they are awaiting for the new member admission process to begin again, as it has been frozen until 2007.

Wagner stated that, as in the case of Peru, the other Andean countries have a special interest in strengthening bonds with Asia – Pacific countries because they see it as a region that offers great opportunities for trade, investment, and development in general.

He explained that the CAN-APEC 2008 Program responds to the idea that reinforcing a presence in the Asia - Pacific Basin is an important goal, one which cannot be accomplished individually, but rather as the Andean Community.

Wagner mentioned that in his conversation with the APEC Executive Director, he proposed to establish a direct relationship with that forum’s Secretariat, and the possibility for countries which are still not members - but with a strong desire to join - to be able to do so within the existing specialized work groups.

He informed that the General Secretariat has also communicated its interest in strengthening its institutional relationship with the ASEAN Secretariat, which Executive Director will be likely visiting the Andean body’s headquarters next November, as he goes through Lima on his way to Chile, where the APEC Leaders Summit will be held.