Chile’s Bachelet nominated Unasur’s first president

Saturday, May 24, 2008
Chile’s Michelle Bachelet was chosen as the first president of the Union of South American Nations which was formally founded on Friday in Brasilia when the leaders of its twelve country members signed the constitutional charter.
The Unasur rotating chair “is a great honor for Chile and recognition to the country’s and Ms Bachelet dedication to integration”, said Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Alejandro Foxley. “Unasur will give us a louder voice in world affairs” and is a potent mechanism for integration, said Ms Bachelet on accepting the nomination. “The time for rhetoric integration is over, now we need concrete, practical decisions that our peoples value and can see every day. The first seal we are going to stamp to this new beginning is that of social affairs” promised the Chilean president.“The fact President Bachelet was named is a reward for her enormous contribution in the last year and a half to pave the way for the signing of the Unasur charter”, added Foxley.“We want physical integration. It’s not possible that to fly from Santiago to Brasilia one must spend a whole day jumping from airport to airport. We must conclude the bi-oceanic corridors. President Bachelet reaffirmed presidents Lula da Silva and Morales commitment to finish by the end of 2009 the highway that will link the port of Santos on the Atlantic with Arica and Iquique on the north of Chile after crossing Bolivia”.Foxley downplayed tensions of the opening meeting saying that “when there’s a real integration determination and spirit, and I believe all presidents have that determination, through dialogue we can address possible differences”.Leaders present at the signing of the constitutional charter for Unasur included besides Chile’s Bachelet and Brazil’s Lula da Silva; Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner; Alan Garcia from Peru; Alvaro Uribe from Colombia; Hugo Chavez, Venezuela, Rafael Correa, Ecuador; Evo Morales, Bolivia; Nicanor Duarte Frutos, Paraguay; Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo; Surinam, Ronald Venetiaan and vicepresident Rodolfo Nin Novoa from Uruguay.
Saturday, May 24, 2008 Montevideo, Uruguay,
http://www.mercopress.com/vernoticia.do?id=13505&formato=html

UNASUR:Venezuelean Perspective

Venezuela's President Chavez and Colombia's President Uribe shake hands at the UNASR summit, while Chavez's daughter (far right) looks on.
Mérida, May 24, 2008 -- At a summit in Brasilia, Brazil, on Friday, 12 South American countries formally constituted the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), a regional integration initiative which began informally in 2004. At the Summit, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Colombian President Álvaro Uribe shook hands respectfully, and Colombia remained the only country which declined to participate in the proposed South American Defense Council.Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez described UNASUR as the culmination of the region’s search for unity since South American independence two centuries ago. "Only in unity will we later have, progressively, complete political, economic, cultural, scientific, technological, and military independence," Chávez commented. Chávez distinguished the organization’s mission from other forms of regional integration. “We are talking about union, not integration, because that is a concept that grew out of the project of hegemonic neo-liberal globalization. Later on, we developed this conscience that embraces a unitary, originary project based on the project of the Great South American Fatherland,” he asserted.Regarding President Uribe, with whom diplomatic relations have been strained most recently by Colombia’s accusations that Venezuela financed Colombian insurgents, Chávez, accompanied by his daughter, expressed the “willingness to recuperate lost trust and retake the path of cooperation.”The two presidents had a “relaxed” and “agreeable” conversation in which they “ratified their willingness for peace and to respect differences,” Chávez told the press.Uribe kissed Chávez’s daughter on the cheek and told her, “Your generation must live happily, without the problems of us, the elders. If dialogue has taught us something, it is respect for people.”The Colombian president also expressed hope that UNASUR would not recognize the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the main guerrilla army fighting against the Colombian government, as a political organization. The Colombian government, the main ally of the United States in the region, classifies the FARC as a terrorist group. The temporary president of UNASUR, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, said the new grouping will help the region “contribute to the construction of this new 21st century, where Latin America is capable of having a strong and firm voice because we have been able to initiate a process of effective integration.”Bachelet highlighted the potential for UNASUR to promote economic and social development in the region. At the top of the organization’s agenda should be combating poverty, eradicating illiteracy, and coordinating university programs so as to facilitate the movement of professionals throughout the region, she said. Also being contemplated is a regional citizenship.Having successfully formed UNASUR, “South America acquires the status of global actor,” said the President of Brazil, Luis Inacio “Lula” da Silva.Lula assured that UNASUR is open to other Latin American countries in the region, and the foundational treaty signed Friday should not be perceived as “a finality.”“Our Caribbean neighbors are invited to associate themselves with the union. UNASUR is born in this way, open to the entire region in the spirit of diversity and pluralism,” said the Brazilian president.
The countries that make up UNASUR are Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, and Uruguay, encompassing a total population of 380 million inhabitants.Lula also emphasized his administration’s proposal to create a South American Defense Council “founded on common values and principles such as respect for sovereignty, self-determination, territorial integrity of states, and non-intervention in internal affairs.”Such a council will help UNASUR members “deepen our South American identity in the area of defense,” Lula said, assuring that “our armed forces are committed to the construction of peace.”The presidents at the summit agreed to form a commission that will come up with a proposal for the defense council within 90 days. The countries will then meet sometime in the second half of this year to officially form the council.Colombia was the only country that anticipated that it would not participate fully in the South American Defense Council, although it was not opposed to the creation of a working group to study the possibility. Colombia “cannot become part of the [council], given the threats of terrorism and known derivations” related to the country’s four decade-old civil war, according to statements to the press by Colombian presidential spokesperson César Mauricio Velásquez.Nonetheless, President Bachelet and others agreed it is important to proceed with the council even if all UNASUR members do not participate and that the proposal should take into account “the preoccupations and the different emphases that each country may have.”The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, opined, “I think we need a regional security council in order to shift from rhetoric to practice. Let’s not deceive ourselves; to maintain stability in the region, and mutual respect, words are not enough.”Bolivia’s President Evo Morales said about UNASUR, “We are placing the foundation of the Union of South American Nations … Today is a day in which we, as presidents, have converted ourselves into workers, bricklayers for the construction of South American Unity.” “This is a historic deed for our people,” he added.Morales also highlighted the multi-ethnic and multi-lingual character of UNASUR, saying, “UNASUR is being born with the recognition of the immense contribution of our indigenous peoples, afro-descendants, mestizos, and whites, which is why we are in a plurinational state in South America.”
James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

South American leaders launch new alliance Unasur

President of Unasur member states during the initial of the treaty on May 23, 2008. Some members hope Unasur could become a regional version of the EU.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the move showed that South America was becoming a "global player".
'South America, united, will move the board game of power in the world, not for its own benefit, but for everyone's,' Lula said.'We want to show that Latin America is capable of speaking with a firm and strong voice and of building effective integration,' said Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
Unasur, whose creation is still pending ratification from the legislatures of member countries, brings together a joint population of 388 million people in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, with a regional annual GDP of close to 2 trillion dollars.Barely a week after the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-LAC) summit in Lima failed to show many tangible results, both Bachelet and Lula stressed the need for 'concrete' measures in the framework of Unasur.'We want to move forward quickly with innovative and long-reach projects in priority areas, like financial and energy integration, the improvement of regional infrastructure and of road and railway connections, the establishment of a vigorous agenda for cooperation in social policies, the strengthening of cooperation in education,' Lula said.As he opened the summit to launch Unasur, Lula stressed that the region can contribute to overcoming the current world food crisis, as long as it is autonomous.'When food scarcity threatens social peace in many parts of the world, it is to our region that many turn looking for answers. We are conscious of our global responsibilities, but we will not decline to exercise them in a sovereign way,' the summit host told his peers.In an attack on the protectionism of developed countries, Lula called upon the leaders of the remaining 11 members of Unasur not to let themselves be fooled 'by the arguments of those who, based on protectionist interests or geopolitical motivations, are annoyed by the growth of (South American) industry and our agriculture.'Lula stood up for his proposal to establish a South American Defence Council to integrate the region's defence industries and help overcome tensions. The proposal was presented in recent weeks by Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim but has encountered resistance particularly from Colombia.Uribe, however, again expressed his opposition to the proposal and argued that the region already has the Organization of American States (OAS) to overcome conflicts.Uribe also said an obstacle for such a Defence Council is the resistance of some South American countries, including Brazil, to define the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) as 'terrorists'.Former Ecuadorian president Rodrigo Borja (1988-1992) caused a stir late Thursday when he said that he would not accept the position of Unasur executive secretary.Analysts note that current tensions in South America are the main challenge for Unasur.The summit that took place Friday was originally scheduled to be held in March in Colombia, but had to be postponed in the light of the Colombian cross-border raid on Ecuadorian territory on March 1, which killed FARC number-two Raul Reyes and 26 other people.The incident sparked a severe crisis between Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela that has only been partially overcome since although Uribe promised never again to carry out raids beyond his country's borders.In an effort to contribute to overcoming the crisis, Lula was set to meet Friday with Uribe and also with presidents Hugo Chavez, of Venezuela, and Rafael Correa of Ecuador
Argentina News.Net, Friday 23rd May, 2008 (IANS)

South America creates regional union (Unasur / Unasul)

BRASILIA, Brazil - A new South American union and abbreviated as Unasur and Unasul(Portuguese: União de Nações Sul-Americanas, Spanish: Unión de Naciones Suramericanas) was born Friday, May 23 , 2008 as leaders of the region's 12 nations set out to create a continental parliament.

The Unasur/Unasul constitutive treaty was signed on May 23, 2008, at the Third Summit of Heads of State, held in Brasília, Brazil. According to the Constitutive Treaty, the Union's headquarters will be located in Quito, Ecuador. The South American Parliament will be located in Cochabamba, Bolivia, while its bank, the Bank of the South (Portuguese: Banco do Sul, Spanish: Banco del Sur), will be located in Caracas, Venezuela.

Participating nations

Members of the Andean Community (CAN):
Bolivia (started in 2006 the process of joining Mercosur)
Colombia
Ecuador
Peru
Members of Mercosur:
Argentina
Brazil
Paraguay
Uruguay
Venezuela
Other countries:
Guyana
Suriname
Chile

Observer states
Mexico
Panama

Current work in progress

Single market
One of the initiatives of Unasur/Unasul is the creation of a single market, beginning with the elimination of tariffs for non-sensitive products by 2014 and sensitive products by 2019.

Infrastructure cooperation
There is an Initiative for Infrastructure Integration of South America (IIRSA) underway, which has received the support of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Andean Development Corporation.
Unasur/Unasul started plans of integration through infrastructure cooperation with the construction of the Interoceanic Highway, a road that intends to more firmly link the Pacific Coast countries, especially Chile and Peru with Brazil and Argentina by extending highways through the continent, allowing better connections to ports to Bolivia and the inner parts of Argentina, Peru and Brazil. The first corridor, between Peru and Brazil, began construction in September 2005, financed 60% by Brazil and 40% by Peru, is expected to be ready by the end of 2009.
The South American Energy Ring (Zuid-Amerikaanse energie-Ring/Anillo Energético Sudamericano/Anel Energético Sul-Americano) is supposed to interconnect Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay with natural gas from several sources, such as the Camisea Gas Project in Peru and Tarija Gas Deposits in Bolivia. Though this proposal has been signed and ratified, economic and political difficulties in Argentina and Bolivia have delayed this initiative, and to date, this agreement remains more like a protocol than an actual project, since Chile and Brazil are already building LNG terminals to import gas from overseas suppliers.

Free movement of people
Visits by South American citizens to any South American country (except French Guiana) of up to 90 days require only the presentation of an identity card issued by the respective authority of the travellers' country of origin. On 24 November 2006, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela waived visa requirements for tourism travel between nationals of said countries.

Monetary policy
Presidents of the 7 founding countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Venezuela and Uruguay) officially launched the South American Bank in Buenos Aires in December 2007. The heads of all the founding countries were at the ceremony, with the exception of President Tabaré Vazquez of Uruguay. The capital will be US$ 7 billion, with Venezuela responsible for US$3b and Brazil US$2b. The headquarters will be located in Caracas with offices in Buenos Aires and La Paz.
The Banco do Sul will finance economic development projects to improve local competitiveness and to promote the scientific and technological development of the member countries. Chile and Colombia participated on initial meeting, but they decided not to join the project.
The founding chart affirms that the Bank will promote projects in "stable and equal" manner and priorities will be to reinforce South America integration, to reduce asymmetries, and to promote egalitarian distribution of investments.
The Brazilian Minister Guido Mantega stated that the bank is not similar to the International Monetary Fund; it will be a credit institution similar to the World Bank or the BIRD.
Defense policy
Venezuela and Brazil have put forward a plan for a South American Defense Council which would draft defense policy and serve as a mechanism for regional security. The proposal is currently under discussion by the member states.

World Association of Investments Promotion Agencies

Brazilian to Head International Trade Investment Promotion Agency
India wins Vice-Presidency
Apr.24 :
The president of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), Alessandro Teixeira, is the new president of Waipa (World Association of Investments Promotion Agencies).
The CEO, IBEF , Mr Jayant Bhuyan, contested the election for vice-presidency and was elected as one of the two Vice-Presidents of WAIPA. The second agency to be elected to vice-presidency is the Tanzania Investment Centre. IBEF is managed by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
WAIPA was established in 1995 and is registered as a non-government organisation (NGO) in Geneva, Switzerland. The Association currently has 220 member agencies from 154 countries.
The election took place in Accra (Ghana) on April 18 during the World Investment Forum (WIF), the most important event in Waipa´s calendar. Alessandro Texeira received the support of 49 representatives from countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe, from a total of 68 votes. He defeated Ziad Bahaa-El Din from Egypt and won 70% of the votes. The vice-presidents elected were Raymond Peter Mbilinyi, from Tanzania, and Jayant Bhuyan, from India.
Teixeira will have a mandate of two years. In his welcoming speech to the member agencies, elected deputy directors and directors, he highlighted the importance of dialogue and the interchange of information between the agencies and the need to strengthen the partnerships with multilateral institutions to leverage resources and finance large projects in the member countries. “We will continue the work of dialogue among the agencies. By exchanging information and sharing best investment practices we will improve the work of every agency,” he said.
Teixeira defended partnerships with institutions like the World Bank, FIAS and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization). “Waipa has the potential to pursue resources which can be used to leverage large projects,” he said. He also highlighted the fundamental role the Association should perform at a time when the global economy is starting to slow down. “The work of the investment agencies must be efficient not only to attract foreign investments but also to ensure that they bring benefits to all the recipient countries,” he added. Teixeira also underlined the challenge of coordinating the efforts of 226 agencies from 156 different countries.
New memoranda of understanding were signed between four investment promotion agencies from Africa - three from South Africa and one from Ghana. The memoranda were signed on behalf of South Africa by the president of Invest North West, Gaba Tabane, the executive secretary of Trade and Investment Limpopo, Mantate Catherine Mokoma, the president of the Durban Investment Promotion Agency, Russell D. Curtis, and the president of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Robert Ahomka Lindsay. The partnership foresees cooperation in initiatives to promote trade and organize investment missions.
The choice of a Brazilian to head Waipa will give Brazil greater visibility in attracting investments. “We are working hard to establish the image of Brazil as a country which is committed to excellence and quality,” Teixeira said shortly after his election.
WAIPA
Waipa promotes the disclosure of best investment practices, such as training to promote and attract investments and interchange among the agencies. It has a total of 214 members representing countries from all continents. Waipa´s Consultative Committee is made up of the most important multilateral bodies linked to the development and promotion of foreign direct investment: Foreign Investment Advisory Service – FIAS of the World Bank; IEDC – International Economic Development Council; OECD – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; UNCTAD – United Nations Conference for Trade and Development and UNIDO – United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

WAIPA Council Members
1. ApexBrasil – Brasil - President2. IBEF - India – Vice President 3. Tanzânia Investment Centre – Vice President4. CGCI – Camarões5. Yemen General Investment Authority – Republic of Yemen 6. Prosperar – Invest in Argentina - Argentina7. CIPA – China8. Invest in New Zealand9. AISA – Afeganistão10. ITD – Hungria11. Invest in Spain - Espanha12. ProMexico – México13. Proesa – El Salvador14. PAIF – Eslovênia15. Invest North West – Africa do Sul
Profile of Alessandro Golombiewski Teixeira

Alessandro Golombiewski Teixeira holds a PhD in Technological and Industrial Competitiveness from the University of Sussex, England, and master's degree in Economy of Latin America from the University of São Paulo. He coordinated the group of Industrial, Technological and Foreign Trade Policy of the Federal Government. As head of the technical team of APEX-Brasil, from January 2003 to February of 2004, he increased support to the exporting sectors, encouraged the growth of the number of small and average-sized companies in foreign trade and developed commercial promotion actions in places such as Russia, India, England, the Middle East, Poland, South America, Africa and China, which were key to the redesign of the exporting geography of the country. Teixeira’s work in the Agency is reflected in the increased diversity of Brazilian exportation and market trade that were incipient until his arrival. He was a member of the transition team of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Administration in the area of Development, Foreign Trade and Tourism.
He has wide international experience, having been a consultant for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Health System (NHS) of the British Government in Business Development, and consultant for the International Academy of Science, in Paris, in Technological Development. He also worked, in the academic area, as Professor and Researcher of International Marketing, E-Commerce and Industrial Economy of the University of Sussex, in England, and in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.
He was awarded by the Sassakawa Foundation of Japan with the title "Young Leader". Also in the private sector, he was director of Research and Market of Divisions LTD., of England, and manager of exportations in the textile and clothing segment and economic consultant for the Foundation Institute of Economic Studies (FIPE).
Born in Rio Grande do Sul, he directed the area of International Affairs of the Government of Rio Grande do Sul and was responsible for the Program of Promotion of Gaucho Exportations.
Alessandro Teixeira is 34 years old.
Profile of Jayant Bhuyan

Mr. Jayan Bhuyan is CEO, India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) & Deputy Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry. He was educated at St. Stephens College, University of Delhi, where he did is Economics (Hons) for his graduation. He then went on to complete his Masters in History. He joined the Confederation in 1975.
Mr. Bhuyan has held several positions at CII. He was in charge of CII operations in the United Kingdom for two years and was stationed in London. He has headed the International Division at CII. In addition, Mr. Bhuyan has also held senior positions in the regions being the Regional Director of CII in the Northern Region and the Western Region.
He has interacted extensively with State Governments in promoting industrial policy and has represented CII at several international conferences.
He joined ASSOCHAM as a Secretary General in February 2000 and held that position until February 2004.