Minister Moreno discusses electric integration project at Foreign Ministers’ meeting

PRESS RELEASE OF THE MEETING OF FOREIGN MINISTERS AND HIGH OFFICIALS FROM THE ENERGY SECTOR FOR THE ELECTRIC INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN CHILE, COLOMBIA ECUADOR AND PERU

Lima, February 25, 2011

The meeting is taking place in Lima and is attended by the Foreign Ministers of Peru, José Antonio García Belaunde; Colombia, María Ángeles Holguín and Ecuador, Ricardo Patiño. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the implementation of an electric interconnection project to strengthen integration and energy security in the region, in order to enhance economic development.

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The Ministers agreed on the importance of the benefits that the electric interconnection would bring, becoming an essential step towards economic integration and the development of these countries. Likewise, they expressed a strong political will to further advance its implementation.

In this regard, they agreed as follows:

1. To achieve the necessary agreements in order to ensure legal security and guaranties for the infrastructure development and international electricity’s transactions. To this end, the relevant regulation of the Andean Community may be taken as a base.
2. To identify the necessary infrastructure to establish an electric energy corridor, within the countries and at border areas.
3. To make progress on the specific bilateral agreements defining the trade and financial mechanisms for electricity exchange.
4. Ministerial officers in charge and relevant organizations from the energy sector of the countries involved will meet in Ecuador, within a period not exceeding 30 days, to begin the implementation of the points mentioned above.
5. This initiative is open to the participation of other countries in the region.

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