U.S. Department of State  
96/10/30 Statement: Peru-Ecuador Breakthrough on Border Dispute  
Office of the Spokesman  
  
  
  
Press Statement by Nicholas Burns/Spokesman  
October 30, 1996  
  
  
  
                Peru-Ecuador Breakthrough on Border Dispute  
  
  
  
The United States congratulates Peru and Ecuador on their breakthrough   
agreement to begin direct talks by the end of this year to resolve their   
50 year-old border dispute, which led to armed clashes as recently as   
January 1995.  
  
This landmark agreement between Peru and Ecuador shows that the United   
States and its partners in the hemisphere can work successfully together   
to make progress on even the most entrenched disputes.    
  
At a signing ceremony in Santiago October 29, presided over by Chilean   
President Eduardo Frei, the parties agreed on procedures for the   
forthcoming talks, and committed themselves to continue their dialogue   
until a global and definitive solution to this problem.  
  
Since the outbreak of hostilities in 1995, the United States has worked   
diligently along with Argentina, Brazil and Chile, the fellow Guarantors   
of the Peru-Ecuador peace process, to end the fighting, separate over   
5,000 troops, create a demilitarized zone along the disputed border, and   
launch direct talks to resolve this dispute.  
  
This accord strengthens the prospects for regional integration and   
stability and is a testament to the enduring and vital legacy of   
cooperation established at the Summit of the Americas in Miami in   
December 1994.  
  
The following is the text of the October 29 accord:  
  
As a result of the conversations held in Santiago on the 28th and 28th   
of October 1996 the Foreign Ministers of Ecuador and Peru agree to the   
following:  
  
I.  In the spirit of mutual understanding and friendly respect, the   
governments of Ecuador and Peru will begin substantive conversations in   
Brasilia before the end of the year for the purpose of attaining a   
comprehensive and definitive solution of the "impasses subsistentes"   
identified in the lists exchanged by the parties in Brasilia on March 6,   
1996.  These conversations will take place in conformity with the   
Protocol of Peace, Friendship and Boundaries of Rio de Janeiro on 1942,   
the Declaration of Itamaraty of February 17, 1995, the Quito Accord of   
February 23, 1996, the Buenos Aires Communique of June 19, 1996 and this   
agreement.  
  
II.  The conversations which will take place in a fluid and continuous   
manner until their final conclusion, will cover individually,   
sequentially and without vetoes all the impasses subsistentes.  The   
parties agree that the discussions will begin starting with the impasses   
mutually agreed as presenting the fewest difficulties.  The   
understandings reached on each of the points, understandings which could   
involve reciprocal concessions, will be definite only after final   
agreement on all of the impasses identified in the lists presented by   
Ecuador and Peru.  
  
III.  In considering each impasse, the parties will create a record of   
those aspects on which they have been able to agree and will also   
identify those points on which they have not agreed.  Following this   
methodology they will examine sequentially each of the impasses and will   
record all points of agreement and disagreement.  
  
IV.  The Guarantor countries will name a Support Commission to assist   
achievement of what is set forth in points 1, 2 and 3 above.  The   
Guarantor countries, is conformity with the responsibility imposed by   
their function of assisting the parties, will propose the procedures   
best suited to definitively resolve those points of disagreement that   
the parties will have been unable to resolve themselves.