Elmer Schialer says that it is therefore very important to show the best image of Peru to the world during the organization of APEC 2024.

The meeting of leaders and businessmen from the most important economies on the planet at APEC 2024 will be opportune to attract new investments to Peru, said the Andean country's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elmer Schialer.

To learn more about his expectations, he gave an interview to Diario El Peruano .

- How can we capitalize on the opportunity to host the APEC Summit of Leaders of the economies once again?

It is estimated that around 15,000 people will arrive in the country during the week of the Leaders' Summit. This is in addition to the visitors who came to the country for the preparatory meetings held this year.

It is not only about officials, but also about businessmen who have been accompanying the various delegations, doing a sort of prospecting of what businesses can be done in Peru.

For this reason, it is very important to show our best image to the world. This is a great opportunity to attract future investments that we must take advantage of in the best possible way.

- Will this be an opportune occasion to begin negotiations aimed at reaching new trade agreements?

Of course. There are no specific topics yet, but there are potential issues, such as the trade agreement with Hong Kong, which is almost ready. Meetings of this kind help us a lot to make progress on these issues.

- APEC Peru 2024: What has been the economic impact of APEC in the country?

In addition, the signing of the protocol for optimizing the free trade agreement between Peru and China is planned. A memorandum of understanding is reportedly being signed with South Korea.

These are issues that are being discussed in parallel with those on the APEC agenda. The aim is to make the best use of the five official visits and two state visits from Asia.

- Regarding the credential for senior executives that facilitates business travel between APEC economies, is any improvement expected?

There have been some updates to this type of credentials. The idea is to make the issuance of this pass simpler and more extensive, that is, to allow more businesspeople to access it, facilitating the movement of executives between APEC member economies.

It is a tool aimed at facilitating business between the economies of Asia-Pacific.

- A parallel activity to the Leaders' Summit will be the inauguration of the first stage of the Chancay port. Will this be an opportunity to promote new investments in Peru?

We are already doing this, but this work will be intensified with the presence of business leaders who will visit us during the week of the Leaders Summit in November.

This project has attracted a lot of attention from large investors, which facilitates the promotion of megaprojects in the country.

By the end of the second phase of the project, more than US$3.8 billion will have been invested. To this must be added the nearly US$1 billion invested in the expansion of the port of Callao. In addition, the inauguration of the new Jorge Chávez International Airport is imminent.

With these two ports and the new airport, a hub is being created to streamline international trade operations.

If we add to this the transformation centres that will be developed between Chancay, Ancón and Callao, a kind of jewel is being created for the Peruvian economy, which will give rise to the promotion and development of new megaprojects in Peru. APEC Peru 2024 will be more than opportune.

- Like the spaceport that would be built in Piura...

That's right. We have the best conditions there to build a spaceport. This is because we are very close to the equator, which places us on the most efficient route for rockets to leave Earth's orbit quickly at a much lower cost than would be the case if we were further north or south of that geographic point.

Secondly, unlike other spaceports located at other latitudes, the climate in this area is ideal for launching rockets, because it has an absolutely dry climate, where it does not rain and there are no storms.

For this reason, there would be no risk of cancelling the rocket shipment, which usually entails losses of tens of millions of dollars.

- Does this mean that there is already private capital interested in this project?

There is a lot of interest in this project. The National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development (Conida) is leading the way.

We are working intensively with some interested parties, such as the Americans, and other countries are not ruled out.

MORE SECURITY

The issue of crime affects us all, with the added bonus that it is now transnational and organized, the foreign minister said.

“Peru, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, launched, as part of the joint actions to fight organized crime, the Resolutive Action Plan (PAR), which is a decision of the CAN in which the intelligence and security forces of the four member countries begin to collaborate and compare information on people who commit crimes.”

He said that at the request of Peru, Decision No. 922 was taken in the Andean Community (CAN), a set of urgent actions to combat transnational organized crime.

The PAR is an integral part of this decision and prioritizes the areas of action related to security and the fight against transnational organized crime in the Andean subregion.

It created a High Level Group made up of officials appointed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Internal Security or authorities that fulfill such functions, which will have the support of the General Secretariat of the CAN, which will be in charge of: monitoring the PAR to combat transnational organized crime, and proposing to the Andean Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs complementary measures to the Action Plan, including the relevance of creating or reactivating specific committees or working groups.

DATA

- Within the framework of the APEC Peru Economic Leaders Week 2024, the leaders of Korea, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia will make official visits to Peru, while those of Brunei Darussalam and China will make state visits.

- One of the state visits will be made by the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, who will formally launch the activities of the Chancay megaport, the largest maritime hub that Peru will have.

- The other state visit will be made by the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Hassanal Bolkiah.

- Leaders Week and the APEC CEO Summit 2024 will be held at the Lima Convention Center, the Ministry of Culture and the Gran Teatro Nacional, which are adjacent facilities.