19. 12. 96 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 329/45 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 12 December 1996 granting a Community guarantee to the European Investment Bank against losses under loans for projects of mutual interest in Latin American and Asian countries with which the Community has concluded cooperation agreements (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, El Salvador, Uruguay and Venezuela; Bangladesh, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam) (96/723/EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 235 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Par- liament ('), Whereas in its meeting on 13 and 14 May 1991 the Council decided, on the basis of a communication from the Commission, on a limited extension of European Investment Bank operations in those third countries with which the Community has concluded cooperation agree- ments; Whereas on 8 July 1991 the Council confirmed these guidelines; Whereas on 19 May 1992 the Council decided on the guidelines to be applied for loans from the Bank granted in the third countries in question; Whereas the Bank is completing an initial three-year loan programme for these countries pursuant to Decision () OJ No C 261, 9. 9. 1996, p. 147. 93/115/EEC (%), with encouraging results according to the Bank’s report on this first phase; Whereas, pursuant to Decision 93/115/EEC, this programme should be renewed,; Whereas the European Council, meeting at Corfu in June 1994 and at Essen in December 1994, confirmed its intention of strengthening cooperation with countries in Asia and the wish to establish a new and extended part- nership between the European Community and the Latin American countries; Whereas the Council and the Commission signed a Solemn Joint Declaration with the Mercosur Member States (*) on 22 December 1994 and with Mexico on 2 May 1995 in which the parties expressed their wish to strengthen their relations, committed themselves to initiate negotiations for new agreements and stressed their interest in continuing and strengthening Bank activities in the region; whereas the Council entrusted the Commission on 12 June 1995 with a mandate to nego- tiate an interregional framework agreement covering economic and trade cooperation with Mercosur; Whereas the European Community and Vietnam signed a cooperation agreement on 17 July 1995 (%) () OJ No L 45, 23. 2. 1993, p. 27. () OJ No C 377, 31. 12. 1994, p. 1. () O] No L 136, 7. 6. 1996, p. 29.