MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kirchner praises Chilean Senate approval of Unasur Constitutive Treaty

Former president and Unasur chairman

Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Secretary-General, Néstor Kirchner, celebrated the Chilean Senate's approval of the regional organization's Constitutive Treaty and highlighted the “compromise” of Chile with the “unity of South America.”

Chile became the seventh nation to ratify its membership to the UNASUR bloc, but it needs the confirmation of al least nine of its 12 member in order for the treaty to come into force.

The countries that have already adhered to the treaty are Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela.

Via a communiqué, Kirchner considered the approval of the treaty on behalf of Chile implies, “without a doubt,” taking a “transcendental step in the regional bloc's institutionalization process for which we have been fighting.”

Likewise, he said the treaty' ratification “in our brother Chile's parliament is nothing more than the approval of said country and its people of the unity of South America.”

Former Argentine president Kirchner has been holding meetings with presidents and parliamentarians of the countries that have yet to sanction the treaty.

He travelled to Chile on July 6 and 7 and met with President Sebastián Piñera and his Foreign Affairs Minister, Alfredo Moreno. Later, in Valparaíso city, parliament headquarters, Kirchner also met with Senate head, Jorge Pizarro, and lawmakers members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as Lower House head, Alejandra Sepúlveda.

Unasur spokespersons assured “productive interviews with representatives of all political forces” were held at the time, which helped to “clear doubts and reaffirm purposes” of the regional bloc.