By Narayan Ammachchi
Peru has sought Canadian support in order to bolster its education, science and technology sectors as the Andean country explores all options to sustain the commendable economic growth it has accomplished in recent years. The news follows the completion of Peruvian President Ollanta Humala’s three day visit to the North American country.
“During his private meeting held at the Canadian Congress in the capital Ottawa, the two parties agreed to increase cooperation in matters of mutual interest including education, science and technology,” Peruvian news agency Andina reported, although few specifics about the agreement were revealed.
Canada acts as an observer for South America’s major trading bloc, the Pacific Alliance, which includes Mexico, Chile and Colombia and Peru.
Peru expects its GDP to rise to 5.5% this year, with private investment rising 8%. Peru’s GDP has doubled over the last decade, while exports have soared three-fold.
With demand for mineral resources declining in China, Peru is exploring all options to sustain its growth. The Andean country, which received US$ 12.2 billion in FDI in 2012, sees political and macroeconomic stability as the cornerstones of its economic strength.
During the president’s visit, the two countries also reached agreements to bolster defense and security relations, with Canada upgrading Peru’s membership status within Canada’s Military Training and Cooperation Program (MTCP) to Category “A”.
The new status helps Peru gain access to the full spectrum of MTCP’s training programs, including opportunities to participate in courses offered to senior officers at the Canadian Staff College in Toronto.
Since Peru’s admission to the MTCP in 2005, 88 Peruvian officers have been trained. In 2014-2015, because of its upgrade to Category “A”, Peru will be offered 21 positions on MTCP courses in operations training and English-language training.
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