Lima, June 8, 2007. The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and the Andean Community Commission today, in a Community Decision, approved the scope of Chile’s participation in the bodies, mechanisms and measures of the Andean Community, clearing the way for its effective participation as an Associate Member Country.    

The Community Decision was approved at an enlarged meeting of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers with the CAN Commission, held by videoconference under the chairmanship of Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca.

At the Meeting, representatives of the Andean Countries agreed to point up the importance of the Decision approved and to express their assurance that it would help strengthen Andean unity.  They went on to state that they expected the President of Chile, who had been especially invited, to be present at the Andean Presidential Summit in Tarija.

According to the Decision, the matters of reciprocal interest to the CAN Member Countries and the Republic of Chile are, inter alia, Inclusive Human and Social Development, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME), Educational Promotion, Health, Energy, Promotion of Cooperation for Trade and Investment, Coordination in dealing with the Asia-Pacific countries, Exchanges to deepen CAN-EU relations, Environment, Boosting Science and Technology, Democracy and Human Rights.

In addition to some areas for specific efforts indicated in the Decision, the Andean Community Member Countries agreed with regard to the subject of Democracy and Human Rights, to open the Additional Protocol to the Cartagena Agreement “Andean Community Commitment to Democracy” and the Andean Charter for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights” to Chile’s accession.  They accordingly announced the issuing of a new Decision to regulate the participation of Chile and any other countries wishing to accede to those instruments.   

The Decision also states that existing trade relations between CAN Member Countries and Chile will continue to be governed by the stipulations of the Economic Complementarity Agreements signed between the two parties within the framework of the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo. 

The Andean Decision approved today also points out that the Mixed CAN-Chile Commission, created through Decision 645 in September 2006, will continue to meet at least once a year to evaluate the application of the agreements assumed and to deepen their scope.   

Institutionally speaking, the Republic of Chile will be invited to participate, with a right to be heard, in regular and special meetings of the three highest-level bodies of the Andean Integration System --Council of Presidents, Council of Foreign Ministers and Commission, composed of the Ministers of Foreign Trade-- and of another 22 bodies, among Councils, Committees, and Working Committees belonging to the Andean institutional system, as enumerated in that Decision.