Lima, Nov. 7, 2006.- The Presidents of the Andean Community Member Countries, in a joint letter, expressed their appreciation to United States President, George W. Bush, for his support for the extension of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) beyond 2006.

The letter was signed this past November 3 during the Sixteenth Iberoamerican Summit in Montevideo, Uruguay, by Presidents Evo Morales Ayma, of Bolivia; Alvaro Uribe Vélez, of Colombia; and Alfredo Palacio González, of Ecuador, together with Peruvian Foreign Minister, José Antonio García Belaunde, on behalf of his country’s head of state.

"As beneficiary countries of the trade preferences provided for in the ATPDEA, we recognize its importance as a basic instrument for promoting economic development and strengthening relations between the United States and our countries,” the Andean Presidents wrote.  

They emphasized that the "ATPDEA is an expression of our shared responsibility in the effort to control illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs” and went on to reiterate, in addition, their assurance that its extension “will contribute to regional stability, a key condition for the advance of democratic governance.”   

The Presidents stressed that among the benefits of the implementation of that Act are the increase in Andean exports and the strong boost given to key economic industries, whose tangible result has been the creation of more employment.  

It is common knowledge that United States President George W. Bush recently asked his country’s Congress to extend the application of tariff preferences granted to the Andean countries within the framework of the ATPDEA, which expires this coming December 31.