MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay takes Mercosur chair for the next six months

Mercosur headquaters in Montevideo

Uruguay officially takes the pro-tempore chair of Mercosur from Paraguay on Friday during the main ceremony of the group’s presidential summit in the capital of Paraguay, Asuncion. Originally the meeting was to receive eight presidents but al last moment Ecuador and Venezuela turned back.

On the first day of deliberations junior members Paraguay and Uruguay complained bitterly about trade barriers from senior members Argentina and Brazil that defended their “protectionist” stance.

Paraguay and Uruguay also warned that the attitude from senior members of the group threatens the continuity of integration and called for immediate changes to ensure a successful harmonization of Mercosur ideas and objectives.

Paraguay’s Foreign Secretary Hector Lacognata opened the technical debates at ministerial level saying that the regional accord is going through a strong crisis that “forces us to question its continuity”.

However Argentina’s International Economic Relations Secretary Alfredo Chiaradía underlined the degree of institutional stability of the region for the integration process, although admitting that Mercosur is immersed in a wave of discredit, and that some of the measures adopted by the group to address the global crisis have not had the effect of those in the northern hemisphere.

A strong statement in support of Honduran president Manuel Zelaya and condemning his ousting and a joint commitment on combating the A/H1N1 virus flu are expected on Friday at the end of the summit.

The six presidents, most of them have already arrived, that will participate in the summit are Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner; Brazil’s Lula da Silva; Uruguay’s Tabare Vazquez; Bolivia’s Evo Morales; Chile’s Michelle Bachelet and host Fernando Lugo.

On the side lines of the summit Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay are expected to formally relaunch the idea of Urubapol, which brings together the three smaller economies of the Plata Basin.