MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru purchases four frigates.

Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo announced last week the purchase of four missile frigates Type Luppo offered by the Italian government.

The Peruvian government last February 17 made public its decision to acquire two frigates but has now doubled the purchase. The first two will be delivered this year and the remaining two before 2006.

"Not only have I the political will, the decision has been taken" underlined Mr. Toledo who said that the renewal of the Peruvian surface fleet was paramount for the country.

Each frigate costs 15 million Euros and the package was offered by Italy two years ago in "very advantageous conditions".

The Peruvian Foreign Affairs ministry said that the Peruvian government will provide all the necessary requests for national defence, but rejected any involvement in a regional arms race.

Peruvian analysts and media point out that the purchase of frigates is with the purpose of maintaining a "strategic balance" with neighbouring Chile that has acquired several high technology units as part of its fleet renewal process.

Recently Peruvian admirals and former Navy secretaries published an open letter urging President Toledo "to give priority to an issue that is of maximum strategic importance for the country".

The letter also refers to the future maritime delimitation with Chile, in the event of Bolivia having access to the sea, and "without exaggeration, in the extreme situation of a possible conflict, we consider indispensable to be prepared for a coming crisis period, in the best conditions given our limited economic resources".