Lima, Oct. 22, 2004 CAN Secretary General Allan Wagner Tizón proposed making integration "a great social and political project, as well as an economic one" and pointed out that the forthcoming Special Summit of Andean Presidents on December 7 ^th would be a favorable occasion for doing so.

He went on to explain that the multidimensional agenda being furthered by the CAN during his term of office places emphasis “on the challenges to our integration posed by globalization and recovery of the concept of development under an approach of competitiveness and social inclusion.”

During the speech with which he opened the formal session honoring the President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe Vélez, he drew attention to the contributions made by distinguished Colombians toward forging a common destiny for the region.

He cited the role played by President Carlos Lleras Restrepo in "the birth of an Andean Pact with a Latin American projection,” as well as President Uribe’s contribution to the "new Andean and Latin American integration agenda."

We are now faced by the challenge of having to bring this new phase of the integration process to fruition under the precepts of what President Uribe has termed "effective multilateralism" and "sustainable state” capable of upholding social development policies in a context of economic growth and democratic strengthening, he pointed out.

He recalled that at the Quirama Summit, President Uribe called for a broader vision of our process and advanced the Andean social agenda that had just been enshrined in the Integrated Social Development Plan.