MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Obama and Unasur presidents to meet Saturday in Trinidad Tobago

UNASUR family photo

United States president Barack Obama wishes to meet with his peers from the Union of South American Nations, UNASUR next Saturday on the sidelines of the fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad Tobago.

Brazilian presidential advisor on international affairs Marco Aurelio Garcia said Mr. Obama’s proposal was sent to Chilean president and pro tempore chair of Unasur, Michelle Bachelet who transmitted the news to her Brazilian counterpart Lula da Silva Tuesday night.

Garcia said that Lula da Silva immediately accepted the proposal which is scheduled to take place Saturday morning in Port Spain.

The meeting of Unasur presidents with Obama was one of the issues discussed Wednesday between Lula da Silva and Colombia’s president Alvaro Uribe who are participating in the World Economic Forum for Latinamerica taking place in Rio do Janeiro.

According to Mr. Garcia Lula da Silva is planning to ring Obama on Thursday to exchange ideas about the coming Summit of the Americas, which will convene all leaders from the three Americas, with the exception of Cuba. The international affairs advisor said most probably Lula da Silva will transmit to President Obama the region’s desire for a normalization of relations between United States and Cuba.

The Cuban issue has not been included in the final draft of the summit but according to Brazilian diplomatic sources, it will probably be one of the most debated points during the two-day meeting.

“We’re not trying to constrain United States, but it’s not possible to accept the fact that a meeting of this calibre (summit of the Americas) without Cuba is an anomaly”, pointed out García.

The presidential advisor revealed that during bilateral talks between Lula da Silva and Uribe in Rio do Janeiro, the Colombian leader underlined that his country has “very fluid relations with Cuba”. Colombia which receives significant financial and military aid to combat drug barons and guerrillas is considered Washington’s staunchest ally in the hemisphere.

However Garcia added that “so far” the Port of Spain Declaration draft does not include another issue which is also expected to dominate the summit’s debates: the global financial crisis which is spreading to the real economy.

“The issue of Cuba, as well as the global crisis, could easily crop up in Trinidad Tobago in spite of the fact the conference refers to more ambitious objectives, it’s impossible that two issues of such magnitude won’t be addressed during the debates”, said Garcaía.

The Fifth Summit of the Americas meets with the purpose of “Securing Our Citizens’ Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability”