Joint Statement of the United States and the Republic of Chile on the Signing of an Environmental Cooperation Agreement

Following is the text of a joint statement released by the United States and the Republic of Chile after signing an Environmental Cooperation Agreement:

“The United States and Chile today signed an Agreement on Environmental Cooperation as a further confirmation of the close relations between the two countries. Paula Dobriansky, United States Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, and Ambassador Cristian Barros, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs for Chile, signed the Agreement in Santiago, Chile on behalf of each government.

The Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, which is associated with the environment chapter of the recently signed United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement, encourages bilateral cooperation in environmental matters. It also reflects both countries’ commitment to protect the environment and promote sustainable development in concert with the strengthening of bilateral trade and investment relations.

Even before the Free Trade Agreement negotiations had been concluded, the United States and Chile had already identified eight cooperative environmental projects that they are pursuing or will pursue for the advancement of their common commitment to the achievement of sustainable development. These projects include initiatives to help protect wildlife and reduce environmental hazards.

The Environmental Cooperation Agreement will establish a lasting framework for further cooperation between the two countries to promote sustainable development. The future cooperative activities will reflect national priorities as agreed by both countries, which will be set forth in a work plan. The work plan will be developed by a Joint Commission for Environmental Cooperation that is also established under this Agreement.

Both the U.S. and Chile agree that the conclusion of this Agreement on Environmental Cooperation will further reinforce bilateral relations and provide an additional means to benefit from each other’s experiences in environmental protection.”