Andean Community of Nations - History

History

• The groundwork for the Community was established in 1969 in the Cartagena Agreement.
• In 1973 Venezuela joins Andean Pact.
• In 1976, Augusto Pinochet withdrew Chile from the Andean Community claiming economic incompatibilities.
• In 1979, the treaty creating the Court of Justice was signed and the Andean Parliament created and the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers were created.
• In 1983, the treaty creating the Court of Justice entered into effect.
• In 1991, the presidents approved the open skies policy and agree to intensify integration.
• In 1992, Peru temporarily suspended its obligations under the Liberalization Program.
• In 1993, the Free Trade Zone entered into full operation for Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
• In 1994, the Common External Tariff was approved.
• In 1996, the Cartagena Agreement Commission approved the regulatory context for the establishment, operation, and exploitation of the Simón Bolívar Satellite System.
• In 1997, an agreement was reached for Peru's gradual incorporation into the Andean Free Trade Zone.
• In 1998, the Framework Agreement for the creation of a Free Trade Area between the Andean Community and the Mercosur was signed in Buenos Aires.
• In 2000, a meeting of the South American Presidents, at which the Andean Community Heads of State and Mercosur decide to launch negotiations for establishing a free trade area between the two blocs as rapidly as possible and by January 2002 at the latest.
• In August 2003, the Andean Community and Mercosur Foreign Ministers, during a meeting in Montevideo at which the CAN delivered a working proposal containing guidelines for the negotiation, reaffirmed their governments' political determination to move ahead with the negotiation of a free trade agreement between the two blocs.
• In April 2006 President Hugo Chávez announced that Venezuela would withdraw from the Andean Community, claiming the FTA agreements signed by Colombia and Peru with the USA caused irreparable damage to the community.
• In October 2011, Mexico, Panama, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Spain joined the Andean Parliament as permanent observer members.