The governments of Chile and Bolivia announced this Thursday that they will hold a round table “in the next few hours” with a view to facing difficulties in border issues, such as security, health and migration; problems that are affecting both countries.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the participants in the meetings between authorities will be the Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Delgadoon behalf of Chile and Bolivia will be done by the Minister of Government, Edward of the Castle.
As detailed in the document, the meeting of both nations is part of the “coordination with neighboring countries, in accordance with the Bolivia-Chile Road Map agreed on April 30, 2021, and the Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Consular Affairs and Immigration Law, signed on December 1”.
This step is taken after Rodrigo Delgado declared that Bolivia was the country that collaborated the least on migration issues.
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The chancellor(s), Rodrigo Yanez –Andrew Allamand is taking his legal holiday – indicated that “in the framework of the delicate migratory, health and security situation in the north of Chile, we have been permanently in coordination with our neighboring countries and in particular with Bolivia”.
“We have agreed to hold for the first time in history (a meeting) of interior and government ministers on the Bolivian side to address various border issues, including the migratory situation. This within the framework of a historic roadmap that was agreed between the two countries in April of last year, and also a memorandum specifically to coordinate both countries on consular and migratory issues,” Yáñez specified.
“We are convinced that understanding, dialogue and good spirit will be an important contribution in resolving this situation,” the authority concluded.
Foreign Minister (s) Rodrigo Yáñez informs that it has been agreed with Bolivia to hold a meeting between ministers of the Interior and Foreign Affairs to discuss the difficult situation that exists in the Northern Macro Zone. This is the first meeting of its kind between the two countries. pic.twitter.com/YPl5cr553V
– Chilean Foreign Ministry ?? (@Minrel_Chile) February 3, 2022
From Bolivia they also valued the fact, highlighting that the meeting will discuss smuggling at the borders and the complicated migratory situation.
“The Foreign Ministry of the Plurinational State of Bolivia agreed on a round table between the Ministers of the Interior and Public Security of Chile and the Minister of Government of Bolivia, together with their respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs, to address various points, including the fight against smuggling and the migratory issue,” says the Bolivian statement.
The Foreign Ministry #Bolivia A working table was agreed between the Minister of the Government of Bolivia and the Ministers of the Interior and Public Security of #Chiliaccompanied by their Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
read it?https://t.co/ve58owTgMV pic.twitter.com/ih8dLpLatQ
– Bolivian Foreign Ministry (@MRE_Bolivia) February 3, 2022
Other government measures
The Foreign Ministry also communicated a series of actions that, together with international organizations, will be carried out in the cities of Arica, Iquique and Colchane.
The measures highlighted by the Government are:
- Facilitation of the management of 3.5 million dollars allocated by UNHCR and IOM for the establishment of temporary residences for migrants in Colchane and Iquique; as well as the donation by the European Union of a health care unit to the city of Arica, which is operated by the Chilean Red Cross.
- Implementation of the Regional Response Plan for Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants (RMRP).
- High-level dialogue between the Government of Chile and the United Nations System.
- Within the framework of the Chilean Presidency of the South American Conference on Migration, which began in September 2021 for a period of one year, included in its agenda the topic “Management of migratory flows within the region, with an emphasis on irregular migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and the role of local governments in managing immigration”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of “bilateral and multilateral cooperation to adopt measures and actions that contribute to mitigating the complex humanitarian, health and migratory situation that affects the North Macrozone of Chile.”
