
Italy is in recession, final data confirmed Monday. Italy's economy shrank 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2011, following a 0.2% decline in GDP in the third quarter.

Increasing common infrastructure projects such as tunnels and border crossings between Chile and Argentina will be the main motive of this week’s presidential summit between Sebastian Piñera and Cristina Fernandez.

Argentina plans to intensify its policy of protecting the trade surplus and impeding the outflow of hard currency and this week is expected to add another one hundred tariff positions which will be submitted to an increase in import levies.

United Kingdom’s Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne on a two-day visit to Chile criticized what he called the “economic blockade” to the Falklands Islands by saying it “wasn’t right” and again reaffirmed the right of self determination for the Islanders.

By John Fowler — “The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write and print with freedom...”. French National Assembly, Declaration of the Rights of Man, August 26, 1789.

“Connecting Cultures” is the theme chosen for this year’s Commonwealth Day. The Commonwealth unites 54 countries with diverse cultures around shared values and vision. A global community of over two billion people of differing beliefs and traditions, with cultural expression, a vibrant means of identity and exchange.

A new round of talks between the European Union and Mercosur is scheduled to begin Monday in Brussels for a week, according to a press release from the Argentine Foreign Affairs.

The chairman of the Argentine Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee, Guillermo Carmona said that the recent ‘Ushuaia Declaration’ claiming sovereignty over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands will be posted to all Parliaments world-wide to ratify and further advance Argentina’s position in the dispute.

Leading figures from the public, private, and academic sectors will participate in the annual meeting of the Inter American Development Bank, (IDB), In Uruguay, March 15-19, to examine issues that include the European crisis, youth employment, citizen security, culture and sports for youth development, climate change, and cooperation between Asia and Latin America.

In a surprise move the IMF has decided to close its office in Buenos Aires and Argentine issues will be managed and formally addressed from Peru, according to a report from La Nacion, quoting IMF sources.