MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur and Unasur need an institutional framework to keep advancing

Foreign Affairs advisor Marco Aurelio Garcia

Brazilian president-elect Dilma Rousseff must inject more life to the institutional strength of Mercosur and the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, and then push for integration with Central America and the Caribbean, said Marco Aurelio García, President Lula da Silva advisor on foreign affairs.

“Both Mercosur and Unasur will have to strengthen their institutions so that we can have a common energy policy and beef up infrastructure, particularly in the current global scenario”, said Marco Aurelio addressing an academic forum in Sao Paulo.

Marco Aurelio who was one of the coordinators of Ms Rousseff successful presidential campaign and has been tipped as a possible Foreign Affairs minister in the next cabinet, said that the administration of President Lula da Silva was very effective in advancing continental integration, “but still needs to give the process the necessary institutional framework”.

“Latin America and South America have much coordination to organize and articulate to overcome the difficulties of the current world scenario”, said Garcia.

The foreign affairs advisor said that in the short time left before president-elect takes office next January, President Lula da Silva will work hard to sustain Unasur institutions in the coming Guyana summit at the end of the month and in early December at the Mercosur presidential meeting in Foz de Iguazú.

García also criticized Brazil’s foreign policy before Lula da Silva took office eight years ago, for not having managed to convince Chile to join Mercosur.

“Unfortunately it was a big mistake to limit the issue with Chile to a strict discussion on tariffs”, he underlined.

Marco Aurelio said that the following steps once Mercosur and Unasur institutions have been consolidated is to strengthen integration with the rest of Latinamerica, through the recently created Community of Latinamerican and Caribbean States, an initiative promoted by Brazil.