The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru, José Antonio García Belaunde, visited The Hague on 14 July 2008 and had a working meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands, Maxime Verhagen. The Ministers underlined the very good bilateral relationship between Peru and The Netherlands and it was noted that their countries share many views on bi-regional and world affairs.

The Netherlands has become the fourth main investor in Peru and the fourth largest market for Peruvian exports within the European Union and both sides explored the possibilities of further strengthening the economic relations. Minister García Belaunde expressed his satisfaction with the results achieved in Peru by the Programme on Emerging Markets (PSOM) that fosters joint ventures between Peruvian and Dutch companies. Furthermore, the cooperation between the Centre for Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) and the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism (PROMPERU) is currently being reformulated.

The Ministers highlighted the importance of the preservation of the environment and the problems derived from climate change. They also discussed the possibilities of multilateral cooperation in a post-Kyoto world. Furthermore, they discussed the problems Peru is facing with the melting of the glaciers in the Peruvian Andes. Minister García Belaunde expressed great interest in the Dutch knowledge and expertise with regards to water management and suggested to explore ways to share these with Peru.

Both sides stressed the importance of respect for human rights and shared their commitment to further develop and strengthen the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Universal Periodic Review. Both Peru and The Netherlands were among the first countries that were subject to this new instrument of the Council that has the potential to become an effective additional tool for human rights monitoring. Minister Verhagen presented his Peruvian counterpart a CD-Rom with the Spanish translation of his human rights strategy which is one of the priorities of Dutch foreign policy.

Minister García Belaunde and Minister Verhagen also discussed their countries’ common concern with regards to the illegal trafficking of drugs and underlined the importance of international cooperation to tackle this problem. Furthermore they expressed the willingness to find ways that will make it possible for Dutch nationals who serve sentences for drug trafficking in Peruvian prisons to serve their sentences in the Netherlands.

Minister Verhagen expressed his thanks to President Alan García of Peru for his hospitality and good guidance during the Fifth Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the European Union and Latin America that took place in Lima on 16 May 2008. The Peruvian Foreign Minister underlined the special interest of his country to conclude in 2009 the negotiations for an Association Agreement between the Andean Community and the EU as agreed in the ‘Lima Declaration’.

Minister García Belaunde expressed his appreciation for the support of The Netherlands to Peru’s request for the observer status to the Investment Committee of the OECD and to adhere to the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises.

Minister García Belaunde expressed his recognition to Minister Verhagen and the Dutch authorities for their hospitality. Both Ministers expressed that this bilateral meeting would contribute to the already very good Peruvian-Dutch relations and agreed to have a new round of regular political consultations in The Hague in 2009.

The Hague, 14 July 2008.