Andean Foreign Trade Ministers ratify commitment to establish the common market by 2005

Lima, Feb 3, 2000. The Andean Ministers of Foreign Trade and Industry today ratified "the will and determination to continue pursuing integration in order to reach the Presidential goal of having a common market in place in the year 2005," as announced by Peruvian Minister Juan Carlos Hurtado Miller.

As chairman of the Commission, the body comprised of the Ministers of Trade and Industry of the Andean Community (CAN), Hurtado Miller acknowledged that building the common market is a "long and slow process that entails the unimpeded circulation of goods, services, capital and persons," but asserted that there is a binding commitment to reach that goal by the established deadline.

The members of the Commission and of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers met separately today in Lima to analyze the necessary actions for establishing the common market. Tomorrow they will gather jointly with the Advisory Council of Ministers of Economy and Finance, Central Bank Presidents and Economic Planning Officers of the CAN.

Colombian Foreign Trade Minister Marta Lucía Ramírez explained that the construction of the common market is a gradual process and that "we have barely completed the first stage of liberalizing trade and are now engaged in forming the customs union."

Ramírez admitted that the recession sustained by the Andean countries in 1999 and the domestic policy differences that exist among them make the creation of the common market a difficult undertaking. She was in favor of reaching a "strong customs union" so that the production sector might develop more favorably and be capable of competing internationally.

Hurtado Miller, for his part, underscored the importance of the decision made by the Ministers of Foreign Trade and Industry to participate jointly as the Andean Community in the III Food and Beverage Fair of the Americas, to be held in Miami in December of this year.

"Joint participation is highly important –he stressed—because it reflects the interest in presenting ourselves jointly and shows that the process of Andean integration is continuing to move ahead."

The Ministers of Foreign Trade and Industry of the five countries announced that the III Andean Entrepreneurial Forum would be held in Lima on March 23 and 24, 2000 to back up trade in the subregion and explore business possibilities with other blocs.

The Forum will bring together 1,200 businessmen from the Andean countries, Mercosur and Chile, who will participate in 300 bargaining tables and present the most important export and import products in 200 stands.

The Commission welcomed the new Minister of Foreign Trade, Industrialization and Fishing of Ecuador, Roberto Peña Durini. Hurtado Miller expressed the CAN’s satisfaction at the renewal of democratic rule, respect for the domestic decisions that country adopts, and wish to work jointly to strengthen integration.