The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Pacific Alliance (PA) met today in Frutillar, Los Lagos Region, Chile, as part of the preparatory work for the XI Summit of Heads of State of the PA, to be held on July 1st, in the Chilean city of Puerto Varas.
At this gathering, the Ministers met with New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Trade, as well as heads of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and representatives of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union.
The Ministers signed the Agreement for the Recognition of the validity of electronic signatures for the interoperability of Single Windows for Foreign Trade (VUCE), and acted as honor witnesses at the signing of the Joint Declaration on the creation of the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) by the Heads of the Intellectual Property Offices of the four countries.
The last item on the agenda was the presentation of the Regional Observatory for SMEs, which will provide information on best practices, legal frameworks and business opportunities in the countries of the PA, and is expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2016. The observatory’s portal can be accessed through the PA’s website.
Frutillar, June 30, 2016