San Salvador, El Salvador, 28 & 29 October 2013

At the invitation of Ms. Deisy Reynosa, Director General of El Salvador Customs, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended a Regional Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Workshop for Mesoamerica held in San Salvador on 28 and 29 October 2013.

The event was attended by AEO coordinators and representatives from all the Mesoamerican countries as well as by experts from the United States, Spain, the IADB and the WCO. On this occasion, Mr. Mujica took part in a panel discussion with the Directors General of Customs of El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The main themes discussed were the importance of AEO and other international initiatives, the role of the private sector, and the impact of AEO in promoting global trade and competitiveness.

During his mission to El Salvador, the Deputy Secretary General also held a working meeting with Mr. Carlos Caceres, El Salvador's Minister of Finance, and the Vice-Ministers of Revenue and Finance. The main topics discussed were the latest developments regarding the implementation of the country’s AEO Programme, the importance of acceding to the Revised Kyoto Convention, and the various initiatives which El Salvador Customs is implementing to continue its modernization process. Finally, Deputy Secretary General Mujica held working meetings with representatives of El Salvador's private sector and with El Salvador Customs’ management team.