Ecuador hosts the sixth meeting of the Andean System (+ photo)

The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Chancellery of the Republic and was chaired by the Head of Diplomacy, Juan Carlos Holguín, in the framework of the exercise of the interim presidency of the Andean Community (CAN).

The objective of the annual meeting was to discuss and share information on the effective contribution that the bodies of the Andean System can make to the post-pandemic economic and social recovery of the CAN member countries: Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

“Ecuador has been marked by a decisive strengthening of the process of Andean integration since the signing of the Cartagena Agreement, and today, almost 53 years after the establishment of the Andean Community, it firmly believes that in order to counteract the current convulsive situation, it is necessary to deepen integration,” Holguin emphasized.

He added in this regard that the countries of the group also need to ensure effective coordination of actions between bodies and institutions and to refer to a solid institutional framework along with the requirements of the new reality.

For his part, the Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries, Julio José Prado, in his capacity as Chairman of the Andean Community Commission, stated that the COVID-19 epidemic brought with it challenges, which were exacerbated by the conflict between Ukraine and Ukraine.

Russia, as well as opportunities for the region.

Among those options, he cited issues related to production chains and pluralism, among others.

Regarding the CAN findings, he noted the implementation of the cluster dedicated to tourism, international roaming, the roadmap for the Andean Digital Agenda, the approval of the Community Initiatives Fund regulations, and the diagnosis of a regional intelligence center. for CAN.

He also suggested ideas such as the CAN Secretariat’s work on studies to provide answers to problems from the new global reality.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Andean Court of Justice, the Andean Parliament, the Latin American Development Bank – CAF, the Latin American Reserve Fund, the Andean Health Agency – Hipólito Unano Agreement, Simon Bolivar Andean University and the General Secretariat. of the Andean community.

The event concluded with the Quito Declaration, an official document containing the conclusions, recommendations and commitments adopted by the bodies.

jha / scm