South American Leaders Meet in Argentina

Buenos Aires, may 4. -Twelve South American leaders will meet today in Buenos Aires at the summit of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to elect the Secretary General of the bloc, discuss the political situation in Honduras and support to Haiti and Chile, both affected by earthquakes, among other issues.

Argentine Kichner Ratified as UNASUR Sec. Gral 

Sources of the presidency have informed the agenda includes the designation of the Secretary General of UNASUR, for which post Ecuador has promoted the candidacy of former Argentina president, Nestor Kirchner.

If there is no opposition, Kirchner will make his debut in that post next Tuesday, said newspaper Pagina 12.

Paraguayan and Uruguayan presidents Fernando Lugo and Jose Mujica will arrive on Tuesday to Buenos Aires and will go directly to the summit venue in Los Cardales, located about 50 miles from the capital.

The presidential section of UNASUR was preceded by an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Relations Ministerial Council who worked on the last details of the agenda.

As to the high-level meeting, the Argentina foreign office advanced it will last three hous and will discuss, among other issues the regional aid to Haiti and the assistance and cooperation to Chile, after the earthquakes of January and February, respectively.

UNASUR is made up of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela and was founded in Cusco, Peru on December 8, 2004 on occasion of the Third Meeting of Presidents of South America. (PL)