New York, September 22, 2004

Today, Peruvian Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Manuel Rodríguez Cuadros, in his capacity of Chairman of the Andean Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers, met with Mr. Javier Solana, the European Union’s High Level Representative for Security and Foreign Policy, to whom he delivered, on behalf of the Andean Countries, the enclosed communication, whereby the countries request the European Union for the “Special Support Regime in the Fight Against the Production and Traffic of Drugs” (Drugs-GSP), granted to Andean countries, to have its own specifics to prevent the erosion of the trade access to the European Union enjoyed by the countries participating in the fight against the worldwide problem of illegal drug traffic.

Minister Rodríguez indicated that the loss of the specific identity of such regime would have a highly negative impact on the economies of Andean Community Member Countries; and accordingly, the impact would be felt on the allocation of funds for social investment purposes, to the detriment of their possibilities of growth, job generation and development.

The Peruvian Minister reiterated to the High Level Representative of the European Union the fundamental principles of shared responsibility, integrality, multilateral approach and international cooperation forming the basis for the Generalized System of Preferences granted by the European Union, in the irrevocable fight of the Andean countries against the production and illegal drug traffic.

Concerning the Agreement of Association between the Andean Community and the European Union, which is to include a Free Trade Agreement, the Peruvian Foreign Affairs Minister reiterated to the High Level Representative of the European Union, the great importance of beginning the process of consultation between the two integration blocks, to be conducted as from the month of November of this year.

Finally, during the conversation between the two high officials, comments were made about the rapprochement process that is taking place between the Andean Community and Mercosur and their associated countries, highlighting the importance of the Economic Complementation Agreements signed by countries of both blocks, which is expected that will form the basis upon which the Integrated South American Territory will be built.