Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Peru will host the Third International Tourism and Handicraft Conference from September 24 - 26, which aims to strengthen bonds between both activities so they can increase the possibility of generating employment, profits and poverty reduction in Peru, stated today the ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur).

“During this event we will see an interesting presentation regarding the importance of the interrelation between tourism and handicrafts, not only due to their contribution to poverty reduction, but also to our appreciation of cultural identity", indicated the minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Mercedes Aráoz.

The Peruvian minister indicated this conference would be another summit that would take place this year in Peru.

"With the development of the 5th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-LAC), we have shown that we are capable of carrying out events of first level, and I believe that the Third International Conference on Tourism and Handicraft will be an event at a same level", she said.

Peru was elected host country for September’s conference during the 17th General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization, held in November last year in Colombia.

News source: ANDINA

Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca (right) said on Sunday that relations between Bolivia and Peru have been normalized, but reiterated his country's refusal to amend Andean Community Decision 486 to facilitate a free trade agreement between Peru and the United States.

"We oppose free-trade agreements; we respect the Peruvian position, but ask for the same respect in return. We ask for respect of Andean regulations," Choquehuanca said.

Choquehuanca noted that the Bolivian position would be discussed and negotiated on August 13 - 14 during the CAN Foreign Trade Ministers meeting which is to take place in Lima.

Bolivia is the only CAN member to have refused to amend Andean Community Decision 486, which regulates the common intellectual property regime for Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.

The Peruvian amendment is a consequence of the recent FTA signed with the United States.

News source: ANDINA

Bolivian authorities will announce between August 13 and 14, their final position on the negotiations to reach a trade agreement between the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and the European Union (EU), indicated Bolivia’s ambassador to Lima, Franz Solano.

He expressed that relations between Peru and Bolivia are normalized after overcoming the misunderstandings, which were generated as a consequence of Evo Morales’ statements.

Solano said that Bolivia's decision in regard to the agreement with the European Union will be made public in the meeting of the CAN to take place within the next days in Lima.

“On August 13-14, there is a meeting in Lima’s venue, where our representatives will make Bolivia’s official position known”, he stated.

The topic on the agreement between the Andean Community and the European Union was hindered in the last weeks due to Bolivia’s objections, while European countries have established as a requirement to hold negotiations with the bloc and not individual countries.

News source: ANDINA

Peru's President Alan García Perez will met Sunday morning with the heads of the government-run social programs in the country in order to assess the progress being made in the fight against poverty.

The Peruvian leader began his working day by holding a meeting with the Minister of Women and Social Development (Mimdes), Susana Pinilla, at 08.30 hours (13:30 GMT).

Later, at 09.00 hours, he met with the heads of social development programs such as Juntos (National plan to overcome poverty), Pronaa (National food assistance program), Foncodes (National cooperation fund for social development), SIS (Comprehensive health insurance for the poor), and Pronama (National program of mobilization for literacy).

He also met with the presidents of Cofopri, Pronamachcs (National project for the management of watershed basins and soil conservation), Construyendo Perú (Building Peru program) and Electrificación Rural (Rural electrification project).

News source: ANDINA

Peru's minister of Foreign Affairs, José Antonio García Belaunde, said to be confident that Bolivia “won’t be an obstacle” in order for Peru to sign an association agreement with the European Union (EU).

The Peruvian Chancellor said that Peru’s purpose is to progress "in the fastest way and not in the slowest", regarding negotiations with the European Union.

“In this sense, García Belaunde said the Peruvian Government are seeking a "formula" that will allow Peru to achieve this agreement, in spite of the differences that exist on this topic with some of the member countries of the Andean Community.

“Certainly, the association agreement has three components: political, economic and of integration; and it was also certain that it was possible to participate without necessarily being part of the three components", he said to press.

In this respect, he said he expected Bolivia “not to be an obstacle" in negotiations with the European Union.

News source: ANDINA

Some 50.7 percent of the population from Lima and Callao approved of Alan Garcia's administration during July, according to a survey done by IMA Marketing Studies.

According to the survey, 13.3 percent of the participants completely approved of Garcia's administration, while 37.4 percent, said his government was doing "moderately well".

In turn, the disapproval rating was registered at 46.3 percent.

Some 43.7 percent of the people interviewed considered that the Peruvian goverment had progressed on its international policies, but that there are other topics such as health (55.7 %), education (47.7 %) and work (47 %) which continue to remain the same.

In regards to the economy, 30 percent affirmed that Peru’s economic situation is "better" or "much better" than last year, while 37.9 percent said it was the same.

On the other hand, 30.1 percent of those polled indicated that Peru’s econmy was worse.

News source: ANDINA

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

After listening to President Alan Garcia's annual presidential address, Lourdes Flores Nano, head of Peru's Popular Christian Party, affirmed that the Andean country's head of state was a "president for the rich".

"The labeled he nailed me with is the one that belongs to him. Presently he is a president for the rich, without a doubt," said the former presidential candidate.

In public statements directed towards Alan Garcia, Flores Nano reminded the president that a great deal of the country's people were upset because of an increase in the price of food and because basic needs were not being met.

"It's raining millions, there is a buoyant country, but I go to a health center, I go to a hospital and there isn't any medicine, lines have not ended, service continues to be bad," said Flores.

"I go to a police station and I don't feel protected. I go to my children's school and things have not improved."

In response to her statements, Cabinet Chief Jorge del Castillo asked the head of the Popular Christian Party to make proposals to improve the economy and not just complain.

Peru's minister of Foreign Affairs José Antonio García Belaunde stated on Wednesday that Bolivia’s position “is an obstacle” for the Andean Community (CAN) to sign an association agreement with the European Union (EU), and asked the Bolivian government to let interested countries sign this agreement.

“We do not ask Bolivia to sign any trade agreement, we ask Bolivia to let us (the interested countries) sign it; to have a more restricted agreement for itself, that is all possible", he said.

The Peruvian chancellor denied that President Alan García's comments about Bolivia during his National Day speech should be treated as "a blow" for Bolivia.

In addition, he pointed out that Bolivia “is an obstacle" in negotiations with the European Union.

"We have said it other times, I do not know why people get surprised when we have repeatedly said that we can’t make any progress in negotiations due to Bolivia’s opposition, absolutely based on ideological criteria", he said on a local radio station in Peru.

News source: ANDINA

The Ministries of Interior and Defence as well as the Superintendency of Banking and Insurance will ensure the enforcement of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1822 which considers sanctions against people, companies and entities in the list of members and collaborators of Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

According to a ministerial resolution, signed by Foreign Affairs Minister José Antonio García Belaunde and published today in the official gazette El Peruano, the norm approved at the UN establishes that all States shall take measures against terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

These measures include freezing without delay funds and other financial assets or economic resources of these individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, including funds derived from property owned or controlled directly or indirectly, by them or by persons acting on their behalf or at their direction, and ensure that neither these nor any other funds, financial assets or economic resources are made available, directly or indirectly for such persons’ benefit, or by their nationals or by persons within their territory.

The UN resolution also includes preventing the entry into or transit through their territories of these individuals.

Finally, the Security Council reaffirms that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivations.

News source: ANDINA

Peruvian president, Alan García approved and enacted a total of 3,270 laws in his second year in office, from July 2007 to July this year.

Of this amount, 2,237 are Supreme Resolutions, 691 are Supreme Decrees and 180 laws and legislative resolutions.

Legislative Decrees total 100 and Emergency Decrees 62, reported the Press Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic through a statement.

The secretary of the Council of Ministers of the Government Palace, César Zavala, reported that the head of state visited 76 districts in 62 trips inside the country.

He also traveled abroad 7 times, during official visits to Australia, Chile, United States, Spain, China, Japan, Brazil and Colombia.

President García chaired the Council of Ministers at 8:30 this morning to review the results of his second year in office.

Then, at midday, he led the signing ceremony of the execution contract between Sedapal and Consorcio Huachipa for construction of an intake and a water treatment plant in Huachipa, located in the eastern outskirts of Perú's capital.

News source: ANDINA