Quito, 25 March 2022 (TDI): The Foreign and Trade Ministers of the countries of the Andean Community will hold high-level meetings in Quito today.
Ecuador will host the meetings in its capital city. It will be the 27th Ordinary Meeting of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers that will also extend to the meeting among the Ministers of Trade.
The officials will review the achievements and progress made under the 2021-2022 Work Plan launched by Ecuador. Moreover, they will discuss the topics of interest in the region.
Ecuador received the pro-tempore Presidency of the Andean Community in 2021. The Ecuadorian President, Guillermo Lasso, in his capacity as the pro-tempore President of the Andean Community (CAN), will welcome the delegates in Quito.
Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Juan Carlos Holguín will chair the Council meetings on Friday. Furthermore, Ecuadorian Minister of Production, Julio José Prado will lead the discussion on the progress made in the Andean Commission on aspects of trade between countries.
The meeting will also analyze the situation of the Andean Court of Justice. The process of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the fight against “Fusarium RT4″, a fungus that has affected and affected banana production in the region, is also on the agenda.
Andean Community
The Andean Community is a regional free trade area and a trade bloc in South America currently comprising of four countries, including Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.
It was created in 1969 with the objective of creating a customs union. Apart from the member states, it has five associate members, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and two observer countries, Spain and Morocco.
Venezuela and Chile are former members that withdrew from the regional arrangement. Since 2005, the members of the Andean Community have established a free flow of people between the countries. The citizens of each country do not require a visa for entering other member states.
