Lima, Oct. 28 (EFE). – Peru and Chile agreed to establish a joint defense cooperation commission with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations on the issue, according to a joint statement issued at the end of the eighth session of the Standing Consultation Committee. and political coordination, known as the “2+2 mechanism.”
The meeting, which took place at the headquarters of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was attended by the foreign ministers of Peru, Ana Cecilia Gervasi, and Chile, Alberto van Klaveren, as well as Peruvian Defense Minister Jorge Chávez and his Chilean counterpart Maya Fernández. Allende.
The joint statement said that the meeting, which took place this Friday, “took place within the framework of a warm, broad and constructive dialogue aimed at further strengthening relations in the areas of foreign policy and defense cooperation.”
In this sense, the ministers addressed issues such as promoting cooperation in disaster risk management, the importance of promoting the full integration of women in their armed forces and the bilateral foreign policy agenda, which also includes the challenges in matters of peace and security at regional and global level.
Following this dialogue, they agreed to set up a Joint Commission for Defense Cooperation, which, in addition to strengthening bilateral relations on this issue, will also be responsible for monitoring commitments made within the framework of “2+2” and Cabinet meetings. Binational.
The focus will be particularly on exchanging experiences and conducting joint exercises in disaster risk management, the statement said.
At the end of the meeting, the ministers issued a joint statement highlighting the validity of the “2+2” mechanism as a space “to articulate at the highest level the visions of foreign policy and defense cooperation between the two countries”.
This mechanism was created by a joint presidential statement on July 30, 2001 with the aim of creating a space for dialogue to enable both countries to address issues of security, defense and foreign policy.
To date, eight editions of these meetings have taken place with the participation of foreign and defense ministers, with the immediate precedent being the meeting in Santiago de Chile on November 28, 2022. EFE
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