Monday, July 3, 2017 The Pacific Alliance is becoming a Latin American Reality
Presidency of the Republic
● Together with the Presidents of Chile, Colombia and Peru, President Peña
Nieto participated in the installation of the XII Pacific Alliance Summit.
● Mexico is hopeful
that with this step we will see more opportunities for what all countries seek, which is welfare for our societies, he said.
● Through the Associated State concept, the four countries in the Pacific Alliance will be able to expand
their economic relations, which will increase the consumer market through a much more intense economic relationship.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said that, “The Pacific Alliance has demonstrated that integration
is not merely an aspiration, but a project that is clearly beginning to become a reality in the Latin American region.”
When he participated with the presidents of Chile, Colombia
and Peru in the installation session of the XII Summit of the Pacific Alliance, President Peña Nieto said that on this
occasion, “We will be inaugurating a new phase in our integration mechanism” through the concept of Associated
State.
“Mexico hopes that this step, which
we will have to take at this meeting, will provide more opportunities for what all countries seek, which is welfare for our
societies, precisely because of greater economic integration, a free trade agreement, and continuing to hope that this openness
will generate conditions of prosperity and development for our societies,” he said.
The Mexican President wished President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, who will lead
the work of the Pro-Tempore Presidency of the Pacific Alliance, every success. “Mexico will always support this effort
so that this integration mechanism really does benefit our societies,” he added.
He recalled that at last year's summit in Puerto Varas, Chile, “We agreed
to deepen the integration of our economies and decided to promote the productive inclusion of our countries, particularly
small and medium enterprises, and intensify collaboration actions with the private sector.”
We also decided to expand the scope of the Alliance through new integration mechanisms,
work with the observer countries to identify areas of collaboration, and what is undoubtedly going to mark a watershed in
the meeting that brings us together today, the impetus to the concept of associated state,” he said.
He explained that through the concept of Associated State in
the Pacific Alliance, the four member countries will be able to expand their economic relationship with other countries that
will now be included in that capacity, which will make it possible to, “Significantly increase the consumer market,
which will give all member and associate countries a great opportunity to have a much more intense economic relationship”.
President Peña Nieto said that, “Today there
are voices that question the benefits of free trade and people’s mobility. However, it must be said, the Pacific Alliance
has remained firm in its principles and this clarity of principles has allowed us to build a flexible, pragmatic mechanism
that efficiently achieves concrete results.”
He
said that proof of this, “Is the progress achieved in the free flow of goods, capital and people between our countries.”
In the installation session, the Mexican President thanked
President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, "for having assumed the Pro Tempore Presidency of this Pacific Alliance with great
involvement, enormous assertiveness and, above all, great efficiency."
He also welcomed President of Peru, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who is participating in the Pacific Alliance
as incumbent president for the first time.
——————————
Presidency of the Republic, Jun. 30, 2017, Mexico, DF; translation
Presidency of the Republic
