MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina has “High Expectations” for Mr. Kirchner as UNASUR Chairman

Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo has become one of the main spokespersons for the Kirchner couple

Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo said this weekend that the Argentine government has “high expectations” that former president Nestor Kirchner will be named next Tuesday as secretary general of the Union of South American Nations, UNASUR. In that case the UNASUR headquarters would move from Ecuador to Buenos Aires.

“We have high expectations that the UNASUR summit will develop according to agenda and a great step forward will be materialized”, said Minister Florencio Randazzo.

The extraordinary meeting of UNASUR heads of state and Government Council will he headed by host Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, together with Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, reported the Argentine Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The long agenda includes the emergency situation and aid needed by Haiti and Chile because of the recent earthquakes. A possible normalization of relations with the Honduran Government of President Porfirio Lobo, cancelled since the coup last June against president Manuel Zelaya will also be addressed. Paraguay’s situation and “risks of institutional deviation” was added at last minute by Argentina and Brazil to the list.

But the dominant issue will be the naming of UNASUR’s standing chairman, which is expected to concentrate debates on Monday and Tuesday. “Let’s not hurry up, let’s wait for the meeting”, said Randazzo regarding Mr. Kirchner’s candidacy which in the past was blocked by Uruguay because of the bilateral conflict regarding the construction of the Botnia pulp mill.

“Countries that promote the candidacy of former president Néstor Kirchner as chairman (Ecuador, Brazil and Argentina) are well aware of the need to give the block a strong boost essential for a clear signal of progress”, said the Argentine Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Argentina has confirmed the attendance of presidents from Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia and Venezuela, while Peru, Colombia, Guyana and Surinam will be represented by their foreign affairs ministers.

Argentina’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Taiana and his Ecuadorean peer Ricardo Patiño will preside over the ministerial meeting Monday, which will give the final touches to the documents to be subscribed Tuesday by the presidents.