MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Thirty world leaders at Bachelet's taking office ceremony

At least thirty world leaders and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have confirmed their assistance to the taking office ceremony of elected Chilean president Michele Bachelet next Saturday March 11, reported officials from the Government House in Santiago.

The list released at mid week includes:

Argentina: President Néstor Kirchner and First Lady Cristina Fernández. Austria: President of the Nacional Council, Dr. Andreas Kohl. Belize: Prime Minister Said Musa. Bolivia: President Evo Morales. Brazil: President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva. Canada: Governor General Mrs. Michael Jean. Colombia: Vicepresident Francisco Santos. Costa Rica: President Abel Pacheco and Mrs. Leila Rodríguez de Pacheco. Ecuador: President Alfredo Palacio and Mrs. María Beatriz Paret de Palacio. El Salvador: Vicepresident Ana Vilma Albanez de Escobar. Spain: Heir to the throne, Prince Felipe of Asturias. Guatemala: President Óscar Berger. Haiti: Elected President René Preval. Honduras: President Manuel Zelaya. Iran: Vicepresident of the Islamic Republic of Iran, MS Satemehvaez Jabadi. Morocco: Prime Minister Driss Jettu. Nicaragua: Vicepresident Alfredo Gómez and Mrs. Maricarmen Lacayo de Gómez. New Zealand: Prime Minister Helen Clark and Mr. Peter Davis. Panama: First vicepresident and Foreign Affaire minister Samuel Lewis. Paraguay: President Nicanor Duarte and Mrs. Gloria Penayo de Duarte. Peru: President Alejandro Toledo. Poland: First Lady María Kaczynska. Portugal: President of the Parliament, Jaime Gama. Dominican Republic: First Lady Margarita Cedeño de Fernández. South Africa: President Thabo Mbeky and Mrs. Zenele Mbeki. Uruguay: President Tabare Vazquez. Venezuela: President Hugo Chávez.

Another 53 chiefs of delegation, ministers and/or advisors have also confirmed their assistance including United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, 17 concurring ambassadors and 18 resident ambassadors.

Michelle Bachelet and outgoing president Ricardo Lagos have a long list of interviews with visiting dignitaries Friday March 10.

President Lagos will hold the interviews at Government House, Casa de la Moneda and Ms Bachelet at the Andres Bello Diplomatic Academy from the Chilean Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The main ceremony will be taking place Saturday at 12:00 hours in the Chilean Congress Hall of Honour in Valparaiso. A thousand guests have been invited for the occasion.

On Sunday in Santiago's main square next to Casa de la Moneda a big popular festivity has been organized with the participation of Chilean musical groups and foreign artists from Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela.