He met with Rafael Correa

UNASUR Sec Gen Néstor Kirchner: region's solidarity will help unite South America

Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Secretary General Néstor Kirchner met with the organism's pro-tempore leader, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, and expressed his support for the future integration of South America.

Kirchner, who was designated UNASUR Secretary General last May 4th, had his first official meeting with Correa in a public building in the port city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, where both men evaluated the regional bloc's progress and the projections made for its strengthening and its operations.

The gathering took place behind closed doors, although the Ecuadorean Foreign Affairs Minister Ricardo Patiño, who also participated in the meeting, explained that they discussed the organism's constitution, which has been approved by Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guayana, Peru, and Venezuela so far.

According to Patiño, it is expected that in three months time the parliaments of at least half of the six countries left to approve the constitution -Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Surinam, and Uruguay-, would ratify it.

The minister also informed that Correa and Kirchner revised the architectural design for the future UNASUR headquarters, to be built in Quito.

Also, during the meeting, the leaders discussed the transfer process of the pro-tempore UNASUR presidency, a post currently held by Ecuador, to Guyana, who is to take office next August.

According to Kirchner, in order for UNASUR to operate fully, it must first acquire solid institutions, which would allow it to work towards future regional integration, and which should also include a new financial architecture, the strengthening of the Councils created, and the creation of the South American Parliament.

In a press conference given before the meeting with Correa, the Secretary General said that the integration process would not be easy, although he highlighted the great progress the organism has registered in the last few months.

The economic asymmetries and the internal crises are part of the South American diversity, according to Kirchner, which means the unification process requires new mechanisms that would allow the enhancement of each of the partners' input.

However, for Kirchner, the region's solidarity is a pillar with which to substantiate the integration, "according to each country's potential."

"We have to find common goals" and "and build, with solidarity, an UNASUR that Latin Americans can feel" as theirs, Kirchner assured, although he insisted that this required ways and institutions to bolster the objective of unity.

"When UNASUR is institutionally structured, among the many different steps that must be taken, there are the financial schemes and the political, economic, and structural relationships that will generate mobility and will allow the definitive operation" of the organism, the former Argentine president stated.

This is why he highlighted the decision of the chiefs of the South American legislative organs, who on Monday night, in Quito, approved a document with which they ratify their firm intention to create the South American Parliament.

For Kirchner, this regional legislative organism will be vital because in him will be represented the pro and anti-government voices of different countries.

"This will allow a synthesis of global thought to be generated in the region, above questions that have to do more with profile or philosophical concepts that each government might have regarding the fulfilment of its duties," he said.