UK to raise relations with Peru following withdrawal from EU

We are reinforcing our commitment to raise relations with Peru after our departure from the EU. We are focusing on the importance of continuing to work directly with old partners, such as Peru. Within that framework, we are working on three issues: support infrastructure improvement, fight against climate change, and the importance of gender equality.

Of course, trade between the two nations is also important, even more within a context of growth, which is good. We have already signed a free trade agreement between Peru and the United Kingdom, and we await ratification by the new Peruvian Congress.

Under this agreement, trade and investments will not undergo any change with respect to the framework that existed with the EU; on the contrary, we see a good opportunity for the growth of both spheres.

2020 will be a year of transition, the terms of the agreement with the EU will apply throughout this year. As of December 31, the free trade agreement signed between Peru and the United Kingdom will come into force.

The terms in both agreements are similar, in some cases there are improvements for trade, but the great advantage is that we have the opportunity to deepen and expand it in a simpler way, because it will be a negotiation between two countries, and no longer with a bloc of 27 countries, as it was with the EU.

Peruvian agricultural exports have a good growth opportunity ahead. Products such as asparagus, blueberries, etc., are highly demanded by British consumers, and are increasingly gaining a presence in our country's supermarkets.

Since the participation that the United Kingdom has had in the organization of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, there is more interest of British companies to explore the possibilities of having a presence in Peru.

That alliance for the sporting event has improved the image of Peru among British businesspeople, who are now more interested in investing in this part of the Americas, which surely did not exist before.

Of course, the United Kingdom is already the number one investor in Peru, but this is more linked to mining investments. What we want is a diversification in other areas of the Peruvian economy. We want to see growth in different sectors.

I hope we see a quieter period, because there is much to do.

President Martin Vizcarra has clearly said that he has his own priorities. On our part, we will support those priorities. I think infrastructure is very important, but there are also other topics, in which the United Kingdom can share its good experience. For example, in our country we have the National Health Service, so that anyone can access a free health service, and President Vizcarra is determined to implement a universal health system of these characteristics.

Since 2018, we have technical working sessions with Peru for infrastructure, and we have supported its government in the preparation of the National Infrastructure Plan for Competitiveness. What we are doing now is providing technical support for the prioritization of projects, in line with the criteria of transparency and efficiency.

At the same time, we are in conversations with the Authority for Reconstruction with Changes about the possibility of supporting reconstruction works in the northern regions of the country affected by El Niño phenomenon. We also have conversations with the Ministry of Energy and Mines to bring infrastructure experience where mining is very important, but there is not enough public work to provide services to socially vulnerable populations.

Of course, our companies have more links with Peruvian companies to consider how we can collaborate on specific projects.

This month we will also have six Peruvian professionals in the United Kingdom to follow a very intense training course at our infrastructure agency.

Now that we are outside the EU, the United Kingdom is in the process of reviewing all visa regimes in the world, so Peru is in that process.

I could not give a date now when that review will end, but the interesting thing in the case of Peru is that we already have a very high level of visa acceptance for Peruvians who wish to travel to the United Kingdom. 96% of Peruvians who apply for a visa get a positive response, so you can see that there is no greater risk.