SICA SECRETARY GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS PROGRESS IN INTEGRATION

Managua, April 23 (PL)- The region is making progress in organizing its integration process, defining priorities and commitments, said Hugo Martinez, secretary general of the Central American Integration System (SICA), in an interview published in the newspaper El Nuevo Diario.

According to Martinez, there is concrete progress in building interrelation among the secretary's offices and approving a framework for the management of cooperation, just to mention some issues.

Central American people are united by their history, common roots and the political decision by the different regional Governments of integrating each other, a decision that maybe would have not been possible in other times, but they have decided to commit to integration, make a common effort and move forward, he said.

Referring to concrete examples of this integration, Martinez explained that the countries of the system have agreed joint buys of medicines, which allowed saving $20 million USD in the last three years.

Besides, the nations have also agreed to implement a regional strategy for public safety that allow them facing the problem of crime in an integral coordinated way.

Being integrated as they are now, the regional countries gain a higher level of expression in the world, El Nuevo Diario said.

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