MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru-Chile relations back to normal

Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo declared Monday that differences between Peru and Chile have been fully overcome and revealed that on his return from a trip to the Far East the 2+2 meeting of Defence and Foreign Affairs ministers will be held.

Mr. Toledo described Chilean president Ricardo Lagos as his "friend" and Peruvian Prime Minister Carlos Ferrero said it was time to look ahead and to "rebuild a better relation and target a future of shared interests".

Earlier in the day a release from the Chilean Foreign Affairs Ministry in Santiago indicated that following talks between Minister Ignacio Walker and his Peruvian counterpart Manuel Rodríguez Cuadro the impasse regarding the sale of Chilean arms to Ecuador in 1995 was over.

Following specific instructions from presidents Toledo and Lagos, several meetings were held between the Foreign Affairs ministers leading to the outcome.

"In these talks, the Chilean minister of Foreign Affairs referred to the public statement of the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated May 11, 2005 and formally exposed the explanations and excuses of the events which took place between January-March 1995", reads the official release.

"With these expressions the governments of Peru and Chile consider the situation generated on the matter to have been overcome. Furthermore they reiterate the spirit which leads the respective governments to conduct bilateral relations on the basis of understanding, cooperation and mutual respect".

The release goes on to say that Presidents Toledo and Lagos who have been on the phone over the issue, expressed their satisfaction with the outcome and revealed that in the coming weeks the bilateral Political Consultation and Coordination Permanent Committee would resume meetings.

Last March a former Ecuadorian general revealed that Chile had sold arms to Ecuador during the armed border conflict with Peru in 1995.

The immediate reaction of President Toledo administration was to demand an official apology from Chile and have the issue discussed in the Organization of American States, OAS.

In effect during the recent nomination of Chilean Interior Minister Jose Miguel Insulza as the next OAS Secretary General, Peru reiterated its claims and disappointment with Chile's silence.

Chile's official line until today's release was that the issue had been solved at its moment and no further review of the matter was forthcoming.