Lima (ANDINA). Peru’s new Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Jose Luis Silva said Monday he will push negotiations on a number of pending and prospective free trade agreements (FTA).

The Peruvian government plans to complete trade talks with Central American countries and nations that rim the Pacific Ocean (Trans-Pacific Partnership), Silva said.

"In the case of Central America, Peru has already signed an FTA with Panama and Costa Rica; while it is still in talks with Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras," he stated.

The administration of President Ollanta Humala, who took office on July 28 for a five-year term, will also seek to negotiate free trade deals with India, South Africa and Russia.

The minister added that the government will respect existing accords with countries such as the United States and seek to boost trade with Andean nations, namely Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia.

"The policy of the current government, led by President Humala, is to respect the FTAs. So the existing agreements will continue, provided that they always benefit the country," Silva said after taking over Peru’s Trade and Tourism Ministry (Mincetur)

August 4, 2011

Source: Andina, Peru

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