MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay praises Unasur; no agreement yet on next secretary general

Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro heads for Mar del Plata

Unasur has been a fundamental factor of stability, democracy and peace for the region said Uruguay’s Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro, following on Uruguay’s Parliament’s ratification of the group’s founding charter and constitution. However Almagro admitted consensus on a name for Secretary General of Unasur is still pending.

“Unasur has helped solve the Bolivian crisis, the border conflict between Ecuador and Colombia, the conflict between Colombia and Venezuela, the recent institutional crisis in Ecuador, all are elements that make to the consolidation of the democratic and peace process in South America”, said Almagro during a brief meeting with the media.

Tuesday’s ratification by the Uruguayan parliament can only be described as “a great satisfaction”.

“I think Uruguay gave a very important step on being the ninth country of the ratification process. This will make effective the treaty and the charter and will help solve many administrative and logistic issues we have in Unasur”, added Almagro who anticipated the next ratification most probably will be from Brazil and then Colombia.

In thirty days the Unasur charter and constitution, with Uruguay’s vote, (ninth out of twelve) become legally effective and the group ceases to have a nominal existence.

Almagro is hopeful that members of the group will agree on the name for a new secretary general following the death of former president Nestor Kirchner when they meet again in the sidelines of the Ibero-American summit this week in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

“We’ll see the names of the candidates then”, said Almagro who evaded the question if Uruguay was putting a name into the ring.
“We’ll see, we’ll see; we have much talking and probing ahead of us”.