§ Baroness Hooperasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they are taking to support the Binational Plan for Border Integration between Ecuador and Peru, following the successful conclusion of the peace process between the two countries. [HL3557]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanMy honourable friend Tony Lloyd MP, Minister of State, visited Peru and Ecuador in January 1999. During his visit, he expressed Her Majesty's Government's interest in the process of cross-border co-operation and explained that the UK had led the debate within the EU on support for the implementation of the then recently-concluded peace agreement. Like our EU partners, we are committed to giving serious consideration to the project proposals of the Binational Commission on Border Integration once these emerge (probably in November 1999). But in the meantime the UK is already working on ways to support the peace agreement. For example, the FCO has recently sponsored a project using schools and colleges as a medium to bring young people together from both sides of the border; and in February 1999 we sponsored a Ministry of Defence expert to attend an international seminar in Quito about the future role of the Ecuadorean Armed Forces in the wake of the peace agreement.