Andean Nations Community (CAN) Secretary General Alfredo Fuentes on Monday in Lima met Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to discuss deepening political, economic and trade cooperation.

The CAN, made up of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia, said on Tuesday in a press communique that Fuentes and Yang had agreed to push forward the agreement on Political Consultation and Cooperation Mechanism.

Fuentes asked Yang to call the third meeting to establish the aspect of the mechanism focusing on promoting investment in the first quarter of 2007.

Fuentes also proposed to incorporate into the bilateral agenda issues such as IT, tourism, education, and meetings at different levels between the Secretariat of the CAN and the Chinese embassy in Lima.

Yang underlined the "substantial progress" made in recent years in cooperation between CAN and China after activating the consultation mechanism and launching cooperation in telecommunications, energy, infrastructure, training and human resources.

He said he was willing to make all possible efforts to perfect the consultation mechanism and make it more efficient with regard to developing South-South cooperation.

Yang said it was important to call the third round meeting on building the mechanism and described the agenda proposed by the CAN, especially with regard to investment, as "very constructive."

"We have a very positive attitude toward investing in the Andean region," he added.

The Chinese vice foreign minister arrived in Lima late on Sunday for a goodwill visit, after attending as an observer the 14th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Cuba.

Source: Xinhua