MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile supports Mexico.

Chile supports Mexico's Mercosur association petition which is scheduled to be considered this coming Friday during the biannual presidential summit in Argentina.

Chilean government sources indicated that president Ricardo Lagos, who will be travelling with Foreign Affairs Minister Soledad Alvear, will personally ratify Chile's support for Mexico during the meeting that will be preceded by talks at ministerial level.

"Mexico's presence in Mercosur is particularly valued by Chile because it has been our foreign policy, since 2000, to promote the so called Group of four, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico", revealed Chilean government source.

According to the same sources, presidents Lagos and Fox coincide that Mercosur not only offers economic and trade opportunities, but also "a significant instance of political coordination".

In the last few years Mexico has begun to look south and Chile "enthusiastically" supports the attitude.

"Chile's participation in the event ratifies the commitment and initiative of the Chilean government of strengthening the block's integration as well as the willingness of the states to work united in launching economic development with fairness", said this week an official release from the Chilean Foreign Affairs Ministry.

During the summit Argentine president Nestor Kirchner will be officially handing the six months pro tempore Mercosur chair to Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Other guests to the summit include Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, Colombia's vicepresident Franciso Santos and special representatives from Japan, Egypt, China and India.

Mercosur is made up of full members, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, plus associate members, Bolivia, Chile and Peru.