During the second day of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the European Union (CELAC-UE), the President of Peru, Ollanta Humala, declared that the multipartite treaty signed by Colombia, Peru and the EU, is the expression of a political will to stimulate economic and trade integration and that for Peru this is “a valuable tool that reinforces our policies for social inclusion allowing small and micro businesses in particular to trade with markets in the EU”.

The Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos, also manifested that this was a valuable step taken together with the EU and Peru towards establishing a free trade treaty and expressed that they have a very positive view of this new relationship with Europe which they consider will mean more jobs in both countries, and increased economic activity and greater prosperity.

Santos added that he feels optimistic about the future of Europe because “they are progressing in the correct direction” and that “the indicators show that there is light at the end of the tunnel” which he considers an important sign for Latin America.

On the occasion, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy and the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durao Barroso were present. The latter manifested that Colombia and Peru are very attractive countries for EU investors and is confident that the agreement will be positive for all.

The Peruvian President also explained that the importance of this cooperative work lies in the combined effort to tackle global threats such as the illegal drug trade and to promote policies that show respect for human values and societies.