Caracas, 11 Sept. – The potential economic, commercial and financial repercussions of the Asian crisis on Latin America will be discussed by a group of experts from the region within the framework of the II Meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Asia-Pacific Study Centers, to be held between Monday and Tuesday next week in Lima, Peru, according to reports received today from the Caracas-based Permanent Secretariat of SELA.

The meeting, which has been called by the Latin American Economic system (SELA) and is being sponsored by the Institute for Latin American Integration (INTAL), an organization dependent on the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will also discuss the potential effects of the current situation on the FTAA process and on ties between Latin America and the European Union.

The Latin American and Caribbean Network of Asia-Pacific Study Centers was formed in 1997 within the framework of the SELA Work Programme - approved by the Latin American Council - with the aim of facilitating and coordinating relations between Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. The initiative was inspired by the earlier existence of Asia-Pacific study and research centers located in Mexico, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Cuba, and was aimed at encouraging the development of other similar centers in Central America and the Caribbean.

On this occasion, the meeting is to be held in Lima as Peru has now joined the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), thus becoming the third Latin American nation, after Mexico and Chile, to join this group.

Speakers at the meeting will include Carlos J. Moneta, Permanent Secretary of SELA; Uziel Nogueira, an INTEL Trade and Integration expert; Hernan Gutierrez, Director of the Institute for International Studies of the University of Chile; Fernando Gonzalez Vigil, Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Study Network of Peru; Eugenio Anguiano, APEC Study Programme Director at the Colegio de Mexico institute; Anne Braveboy-Wagner of New York University; Jose Beckinstein of the Special Asia-Pacific Unit of the Argentine Ministry of Finance, and Gibson Schwartz of the University of Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Following this meeting, a workshop will be held on 16 September at the Andean Community headquarters, also in Lima, to examine the agenda for economic relations between Latin America and the Caribbean and the Asia-Pacific region.

This workshop will be attended by government officials and experts from the different countries of the region, representatives from various regional and sub-regional organizations for cooperation and integration and specialized agencies, and scholars from several Asian countries.

The results of these meetings will be submitted to the consideration of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and/or Ministers of the Economy of the twenty-eight (28) member countries of SELA for their consideration this year during the XXIV Meeting of the Latin American Council - the organization’s highest authority – whose central topic on this occasion will be the "Dynamics of the External Relations of Latin America and the Caribbean."

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