International Trade committee  The TPP is only a trade and investment agreement; it's not a process of integration. They are going to move, because APEC cannot move. APEC has big meetings, but it really doesn't move too much because it includes a lot of countries with different approaches to trade and investment.

International Trade committee  Yes, of course, the alliance of the Pacific is more comprehensive.

International Trade committee  It's very difficult, because there are a lot of negotiations between the members—even Canada right now. I don't know very much about that, because there are experts in my headquarters who send some reports that are very difficult for an old-fashioned diplomat to read. But in any case, I think all of these processes are good; everything that supports free trade and free investment is good for our countries.

International Trade committee  Regarding environment matters, we try to do our best. It's difficult because there are a lot of requests for the government to do more modernization and development. But we have to keep in mind that we are only 30 million people in a big country in South America. You have the Amazon forest, and we work really close with Brazil in this regard.

International Trade committee  First of all, it's the start of a full integration process in many, many ways, including security matters. That is very important because there is a security element in the alliance of the Pacific regarding all these threats we have in common. Terrorists, narco-traffic, etc. That is one of the important matters.

International Trade committee  Is this regarding if Canada joins...?

International Trade committee  Exactly.

International Trade committee  I would like to say that in the last three years Canada's exports to Peru increased by almost $100 million after the free trade agreement. In three years they increased 25%. Also the Peruvian goods.... But the main export of Peru to Canada is minerals. Of those minerals, 30% to 45% are from Canadian mining companies.

International Trade committee  In any case, I think Canada can take more advantage of the free trade agreement with my country. For example, last November there were 15 infrastructure projects. The largest Canadian companies went to Peru and decided to do business with Peruvian projects. We are opening the scope not only of mining and oil but....

International Trade committee  That is a very good question because there are some aspects where I know Canada has some problems because of its policy situation. For example, immigration: immigration is a difficult matter for Canada. In Peru, we understand that. In the last conversation we had with Minister Baird in Lima, we agreed that it's a difficult task for Canada.

International Trade committee  It's an observer.

International Trade committee  There is a step-by-step process. We are very close friends with Canada. Usually, on an informal basis, all the agreements we achieve or are going to achieve we share in common with the Canadian government, because that is the way we are going to encourage Canada to be a member.

International Trade committee  The concept is integration between the countries that were to be members of this alliance. For example, whether we are going to have mobility of persons. Right now even in Peru we have a lack of working people, especially on the coast. Right now we have Chileans and Colombians working in Peru and also we have Peruvians working in Colombia, Mexico, and Chile because we don't need a visa, and it is very easy to fill out the form to have status to work in our country.

International Trade committee  Yes, yes—here we are.

International Trade committee  I am not an expert in economics and trade. I am a typical political diplomat, career diplomat, with some 35 years in this métier. I would like to say that the Pacific Alliance is Americas-oriented, affording a deep integration process in which trade and investment are not the only components of this scheme.