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Police arrest man carrying 36 grenades

Just days before 21 heads of state gather in Lima for the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a man was found carrying 36 grenades in his backpack in the Lima district of San Martín de Porres.

According to police, Edwin Valladolid, 31, was detained on Sunday while going in the direction towards the center of Lima. An on-going investigation is still underway to pinpoint where Valladolid was headed and his motives.

"We think he belongs to a larger group, which we are still trying to identify," said Police Colonel Julio Vergara.

Vergara, also in charge of APEC security, said it was unlikely Valladolid was targeting the international summit but will not rule it out as further investigation continues.

According to El Comercio, Valladolid told police he was unaware of the contents inside the package he was carrying and only doing a favor for his friend “Pocho.” 

The arrest came after three police officers in Ayachuco were killed in an ambush that is suspected of being led by the Maoist Shining Path rebel group.

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Peru: Morning News Roundup - Tuesday November 18

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Small and Medium Enterprises Foster APEC Economies Development

Vice Admiral (r), Luis Giampietri, Chair of the High Level Extraordinary Organization Committee, stated that Small and Medium enterprises are the engine of APEC Economy development as well as that of all countries in general. This was said after the opening of the II APEC Business Advisory Council SME Summit which managed the attendance of more than one thousand entrepreneurs from the 21 Member Economies.

“It has been an excellent presentation; we have finished construction in time [of the Real Felipe Fortress Convention Center] and we have had key lecturers such as Jac Ma, who has given an optimistic message to small and medium entrepreneurs”, said the CEAN-APEC Chairman after the presentation of the founder of Aliba Group portal of China. This is one of the most successful companies of e-commerce that works with 4.8 million companies in more than 200 countries.

Furthermore, vice admiral Luis Giampietri, highlighted that the essence of the APEC PERU 2008 Forum is the joint work in the public and private sector. As a result of this all the meetings being held during Leaders’ Week will include the participation of ABAC.

During the opening ceremony, ABAC Chairman, Juan Francisco Raffo, stated that 95% of the business effort of Asia-Pacific region comes from SMEs and he thanked the Regional Government of Callao and the Vice Admiral Giampietri for making this important interregional meeting possible.

The Minister of Production, Elena Conterno, also attended the meeting to report on the Governmental advances regarding SME promotion, fostering administrative simplification to have access to new markets.

It is worth mentioning the II SME Summit was closed by the President of the Republic, Alan García Pérez, at the Real Felipe Fortress.

News source: APEC 2008.org

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First Draft of APEC Leaders’ Declaration is Approved

Peru’s vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Gonzalo Gutiérrez, said today that the first draft of the APEC 2008 Leaders’ Declaration was approved in the Plenary Session of the Concluding Senior Officials Meeting (CSOM), which took place at the National Museum.

In addition, the 13-point draft agenda to be discussed at the 20th APEC Ministerial Meeting was approved.

Gutiérrez explained that the group of Senior Officials is taking part in an informal negotiation process of proposals that will constitute the Leaders’ Declaration, on the 12 topics to be tackled by leaders as well as on the stand-alone declaration, referring to the world international crisis, the trade situation, and the trade relations evaluated in the Doha Round.

“Basically, Senior Officials approved all topics that have been developed in the different forums and sub-forums held this year in the framework of APEC. These approved topics will be submitted to the meeting of Foreign Affairs and Trade ministers, to be later revised by the leaders who will issue the APEC Leaders’ Declaration”, he said.

Gutiérrez indicated that the main topics discussed in the CSOM were trade facilitation, fight against corruption, technical and economic cooperation, and the APEC reform.

News source: Andina

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APEC Leaders’ Week Will Occur Under Strict Security Measures

An integrated security network has been created which would include more than 200 video surveillance cameras.

To ensure the normal development of the APEC Leaders Week, The National Police force, the Air Force, the Navy and the Peruvian Army have implemented a Comprehensive Security Plan, which will foresee the safety of the authorities of Member Economies once they are in our country.

The Colonel Alberto Castillo, chief of security of the Extraordinary High-Level Commission-CEAN APEC, said that a security plan has been implemented to begin operating from the moment of the leader’s arrival in Peru until the end of the summit, a fact that will demand an operational deployment of approximately 10 thousand troops of security.

He has also indicated that for the very first time in Peru an integrated security network has been created that would include 200 video cameras in the municipalities of Miraflores, San Isidro, San Borja, as well as the National Police, the same ones that are located in strategic areas to safeguard the passage of the Leaders during their daily routs.

Castillo added that three security rings will be available, the first of which forms the internal premises security, meaning hotels and locations where they will conduct the meetings. The second ring will be located closer to sites already mentioned and the third will be located 600 meters from the headquarters and the hotels that will house the officers and leaders of member economies. This whole guard system is organized in coordination with the Seventh Region Police, which has Transport Canine Police and motorized units at its disposal.

Meanwhile, the Chief Operating Officer of the CEAN APEC 2008, Gonzalo Ansola Cabada, said that the meeting set for the 22nd and 23rd of November, will be held in a special area of the Convention Center of the Ministry of Defense. Representatives of the 21 economies will be able to attend with their respective support groups (a high-level adviser, a physician and a member of security). Thus, the most important APEC will only be composed by 84 people.

During the leaders’Week of the APEC Forum, the official delegations will be accommodated in 71 hotels located in Miraflores, San Isidro, Lima and San Borja, which have a total of 5,580 rooms. Given this, the coordination work of the National Police Force with the hotel industry began early this year through a series of working meetings, which have served to develop security plans for the APEC Leaders' Week.

News source: APEC 2008.org

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APEC Delegates Discussed 13-point Agenda for Coming Meeting

Monday morning saw Peru’s deputy foreign minister Gonzalo Gutierrez open the plenary session of the APEC Concluding Senior Officials Meeting (CSOM). The meeting is intended to prepare a 13-point draft agenda to be discussed at the 20th APEC Ministerial Meeting on November 19th to November 20th.

Deputy minister Gutierrez mentioned that topics discussed at today’s plenary session include trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, the fight against corruption, technical and economic cooperation, corporate social responsibility and the APEC reform.
 
Gutierrez added that the 13-point agenda also includes the support of the APEC in regard to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Doha Round as well as the regional economic integration through the establishment of an Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area.
He noted that the Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting began Sunday with a fruitful exchange of views on various points to be put on the draft agenda.
"The document is to be submitted to our ministers in the coming days," deputy foreign minister Gonzalo Gutierrez said Monday.

News source: Andina

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Peru, U.S. presidents to hold bilateral meeting

Peruvian president Alan García Pérez will hold this week a bilateral meeting with his U.S. counterpart, George W. Bush, who will attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in Peru's capital Lima.

The meeting is scheduled for Sunday, November 23. This will be Bush's second visit to Peru after his state visit in March 2002.

Bush is to chair the ninth session of the Leaders’ Meeting, which theme is: "What APEC can do to strengthen ties in the Asia-Pacific community?"

This session will be held at the Convention Center of the Defense Ministry, located in the headquarters of Peru's Army Headquarters.

Peru’s president will also hold a bilateral meeting with Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, Australian PM Kevin Rudd, and Chilean president Michelle Bachelet.

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APEC Summit’s Week has first investment deal worth $2 billion

APEC 2008 Leaders’ Summit bears first fruit. The Chairman of the APEC CEO Summit 2008, José Miguel Morales, said today that the first investment for over 2 billion dollars in Peru will be confirmed in the course of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) meeting, held from November 17 to 20.,

Although he did not mention company and origin’s investment either, Morales indicated that this is a clear sign of confidence in the country's economic development.

“The first investment for over 2 billion dollars will be signed in the framework of ABAC meeting. This amount would be part of the six billion dollars estimated to be the total investments in Peru coming from negotiations and meetings of this forum”, he said in a local TV program.

According to Morales, preparatory activities, to hold the 4th Meeting of APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), have a good development.

“Everything is getting ready to host the Business Forum. We count on the participation of 1,210 delegates, from these 848 are foreigners , being China the largest delegation with 120 people, followed by Vietnam, United States, Korea, Russia and Canada”, he said.

News Source: Andina

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Peru sets potato exhibition for APEC

At the International Media Center (IMC) in Lima, Peru, a display of various potatoes native to the country will be open to the public during the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leader’s Week. The display was set up on behalf of the Agriculture Ministry to provide more information on one of country’s leading products.

Click here to see more pictures.

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Peru to lure investments worth US$6 billion from APEC economies

Living in Peru
Jobana Soto

The global economy may be on a downturn but that’s not stopping Peru from advancing deals and profiting during the highly publicized Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit this week.

It’s reported that a possible US$6 billion could be invested in the Andean country if successful in securing investment deals and contracts with other APEC members. President Alan García Pérez aims to impress delegates of the country’s growing economy and achievements during his presidency.

In September, government officials announced that Peru had a 9.9 percent economic growth, the highest among any other Latin American country. García sealed a free-trade agreement with the United States and is currently working on signing more with China, Japan, Singapore, Canada and the European Union.

According to Alejandro Gordillo Fernandez, Peruvian Ambassador to Malaysia, he told Bernama in an exclusive interview that García plans to seek investment interests with Malaysia during the APEC Summit with a heavy interest in their palm oil industry. Malaysia is one of the largest producers of palm oil and is commonly used in markets for personal hygiene and food use. The Malaysian government has plans to expand its use in the fueling industry.

APEC accounts for about 55 percent of the world’s gross domestic product, giving Peru an opportunity to bank on investments that will increase its state of economy during the current global crisis.

Peru’s oil market is expected to be a hot topic during APEC as nearly 500 companies have shown interest in wanting to explore oil in the Andean region. “There are a lot of crude oil reserves waiting to be tapped, both onshore and offshore," Fernandez said.

News Source: Bernama

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