Ecuador and the United States participate in Washington in the III Broad Bilateral Political Dialogue
The Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, welcomed the Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Luis Gallegos, the Minister of Government, María Paula Romo, the Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries Iván Ontaneda, and the other members of the Ecuadorian delegation that participated in the III Broad Bilateral Political Dialogue held in Washington DC The US delegation was chaired by the Under Secretary of State, David Hale, while the Ecuadorian delegation by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arturo Cabrera.
Ecuador and the United States have built a solid relationship based on the values they share about democracy, security, transparency, development and prosperity, the fight against drug trafficking, organized crime and corruption, among others. These issues were addressed during the bilateral meeting, on which occasion the achievements, challenges and perspectives of the relationship and mutual collaboration were also identified.
Within this framework, defense and security issues were addressed, and they reiterated the shared responsibility in the fight against drug trafficking to increase security and stability in the region. To improve aviation security, Ecuador and the United States highlighted the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Deployment of Federal Air Safety Officers on flights between Ecuador and the United States, additionally the two parties analyzed the need to deepen cooperation in extraditions and the fight against human trafficking.
In addition, Ecuador and the United States highlighted the importance of strengthening democracy and transparency, through the exchange of information and training in the areas of cybersecurity, and the identification and fight against disinformation. They recognized the importance of trust and security in next-generation wireless networks and in that line, Ecuador and the United States seek to work together and with other interested governments intend to protect their national information technologies and promote a supply chain diverse and dynamic globally.
The two governments also recognized the current assistance of the State Department’s Electricity Sector Program, which within the framework of the ‘América Crece’ initiative, aims to support economic development through infrastructure projects, among others, in the electricity sector. high quality, wind and solar energy projects.
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The United States recognized the efforts made by Ecuador within the framework of the Quito Process to coordinate with other member countries the formulation of regional policies in response to the migration and refugee crisis that affects the region. The United States seeks to support Ecuador’s policies that facilitate Venezuelan citizens’ access to basic services including health and education.
In the area of development cooperation, both governments welcomed the reopening of the office of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Quito in November 2020, which will facilitate greater collaboration between both nations. In this context, the Development Assistance Agreement recently signed by USAID and the Government of Ecuador will facilitate sustainable investments in the areas of the environment, energy and other income-generating sectors. The United States highlighted the allocation of funds by USAID in electoral assistance, under the aforementioned Development Agreement.
Both nations agreed on the importance of reactivating their economies strongly hit by the pandemic caused by Covid-19, additionally the United States and Ecuador, announced that they will deepen bilateral cooperation to increase the economic empowerment of women, in line with the objectives of the Women’s Global Prosperity and Development Initiative (W-GDP). The initiative also includes the expansion of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program.
The two Governments expressed their concern over the presence of fleets of foreign-flagged fishing vessels and the commitment to take joint measures regarding fishing activities in the high seas areas adjacent to the exclusive economic zones of Ecuador, activities that would endanger the conservation and sustainable use of fishery resources in the marine environment beyond the jurisdictional waters of Ecuador. (I)