[NYTr] Venez Expects to Join Mercosur, Chavez Has Busy Agenda at Uruguay Mtg

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Uruguay Opens Mercosur Summit

Montevideo, Dec 18 (Prensa Latina) Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez,
as Mercosur"s pro temp president, gave the welcome to the heads of
State attending the 34th Summit of the Southern Common Market on

The meeting is attended by presidents from three member-nations of the
bloc: Cristina Fernandez (Argentina), Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva
(Brazil) and Nicanor Duarte (Paraguay), as well as current associate
members, Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) and Evo Morales (Bolivia).

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is expected today as well.

This morning the heads of State have a working breakfast and later,
also behind closed doors, will deliberate on the most urgent Mercosur
issues, analyzed Monday by the top political entity.

Today Uruguay will transfer the bloc"s pro-tempore presidency to
Argentina in a ceremony shortly before noon in the permanent venue of
the pact, and then Tabare Vazquez and Cristina Fernandez will deliver
the Summit"s closing speech.

It is expected the presidents will have the traditional official photo
taken at noon.

hr ccs iff asg PL-2

                            ***

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN)
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles

Venezuela Expects to Join Mercosur

Havana, Dec 18 (acn) Venezuela's President, Hugo Chavez, ratified that 
his country expects to join the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) as a 
full member seeking to contribute with South's unification.

The statement was made at the 34th Mercosur Presidents and Associated 
States Summit carried out at the Plenarios Hall, in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Chavez said Venezuela will keep on waiting patiently, for the moment 
when it can join the block, "because the destiny of South America 
depends on the destiny of Mercosur. Therefore, we have to look after it 
very well," he said.

He stated that Venezuela has been getting ready to enter Mercosur, 
since it stepped down from the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), "and 
it will not come back despite of some friend presidents' request". It 
also left the Group of the Three (G-3), and has taken actions to 
increase bilateral political and commercial relations.

"That is, maybe, the first Venezuela's contribution to Mercosur, even 
with that humble help, but important at some extent, to contribute as 
well to fight the asymmetries," concluded the Venezuelan president.

                            ***

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Chavez Has Rigorous Agenda in Uruguay

Montevideo, Dec 18 (Prensa Latina) After the conclusion of the 34th
Mercosur Summit on Tuesday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will
decorate prestigious Uruguayan poet and writer Mario Benedetti and
participate in a mass popular function in Montevideo.

Caracas Ambassador to Montevideo Franklin Gonzalez told Prensa Latina
that the statesman will confer a high distinction to Benedetti, an
academic close to Latin American and Caribbean progressive forces.

"We have a moral commitment with Benedetti," said the diplomat, "and no
moment is better for this than during the visit of our president,"
which takes place for the Mercosur meeting.

The ceremony will be held in the Aula Magna of the Republic's
University, a stage where famous figures of Latin American history,
like Argentine-Cuban guerrilla Ernesto Che Guevara and former Chilean
President Salvador Allende, have delivered speeches.

Shortly after, Chavez will attend a grass-roots activity in solidarity
with the Bolivarian Revolution, also at the university.

The activity is organized by university authorities, the Federation of
University Students, the Inter-Union Plenary of Workers, the Uruguayan
trade union and several social and human rights organizations.

At the Summit, leaders of the Mercosur states (Argentina, Brazil,
Paraguay and Uruguay) are expected to issue a declaration supporting
Venezuela's entry to the bloc.

hr ccs iff asg PL-15