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The five countries together have 120 million inhabitants living in an area of 4,700,000 square kilometers, whose Gross Domestic Product in 2002 amounted to US$ 260 billion. The Andean Community is one of South America's two main trade blocs (the other one being Mercosur).

Mercosur and the Andean Community began in 1999 negotiations towards a merger of the two groupings, with the potential of creating a South American Free Trade Area (SAFTA).

1 History

• The groundwork for the Community was established in 1969 in Cartagena Agreement.
• 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, 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.

See also: Central American Common Market, Free Trade Area of the Americas, Mercosur, Trade bloc

2 External links

• Andean Community official webpage