Colombia, Ecuador, Perú and Bolivia to abolish roaming
The foreign ministers of the Andean Community (CAN) agreed to promote the reduction of the roaming charges between the countries of the bloc made up of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, as well as promoting electric interconnection, reports La Republica. andean roaming
This was stated at the XIX Extraordinary Meeting of the Andean Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, chaired by Foreign Minister María Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador, the country that holds the Pro Tempore of the CAN presidency.
The Secretary General of the CAN, Walker San Miguel, said that this gradual reduction is being developed with the support of the CAF. andean roaming
The result of the process will be that by 2022 there will be no costs for international calls between the four countries, CAN secretary Jorge Hernando Pedraza told journalists in Cartagena, a city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
“It will benefit 111 million Andean citizens who will feel the gains directly in their pockets,” he said.
Colombian President Ivan Duque called on the CAN to speed up its process of modernization so it can partner with other trade groups such as the Pacific Alliance and Mercosur.
In July last year, Mercosur members Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay agreed to end international roaming rates between the economic bock.
Duque called on CAN members to be more active in managing the migration of thousands of Venezuelans who have fled the economic, political and social crisis of their home country, and to seek financial assistance from the international community to help respond to the calamity.
Duque said he and the group’s foreign ministers had invited Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guiado to bring Venezuela back into the fold. Deceased Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez withdrew from the CAN in 2011.
Colombia is part of a group of countries that recognizes Guiado as the legitimate leader of Venezuela.
“President Guiado has told us he wants Venezuela to return to the CAN and we are going to support the return of a free and democratic Venezuela (to the group), he said.
The Colombian president also said CAN members should exploit their agricultural potential and implement an environmental charter to avoid deforestation within their borders.
